Half way there!

Just a quick note to let you know I'm competing in the New Balance Half Iron Triathlon this Sunday in Victoria, BC. This event offers live scoring so you'll be able to track my progress online through each stage of the race.

Here is where you can expect to find me throughout the day:

06:45am: Swim starts
07:35am: Exit the swim
07:40am: Transition to the Bike
10:45am: Bike ends
10:50am: Transition to the Run
12:40pm: Finish

That's a 50 minute swim, 3hr and 5 minute bike, an hour and 50 minute run with two transitions of 5 minutes each. The goal is to finish in under 6 hours. Wish me luck!

My first tri

Onion Man Triathlon, Walla Walla - May 25th, 2008

This was my first ever triathlon. A dozen members of my TNT team decided this olympic distance tri would be a good warm-up for the Victoria half iron event in June so we rented a large house (Jen, you rock!), loaded up a U-haul full of bikes (thanks, Jeff) and headed to Walla Walla. The last time I was in Walla Walla was as a member of the Univ of Puget Sound tennis team when we played Whitman College… in other words a long, long time ago when Phil Ansdell sported a beard and an even thicker accent. I remember I lost my singles match, but I'm sure it was close and probably lost in a 3rd set tie break :) … you know, back in the day when we actually played a true best of three sets and then followed it up with a full doubles match!

With this being my virgin event I wasn't sure what to expect. Check that. I had read the previous years' race reports, paged thru the many photos, and had gmap'ed the bike route. Thus, when we arrived on Saturday to preview the course the lake (reservoir?), transition area and the surrounding terrain all looked very familiar. So I knew what to expect from the course, but I wasn't sure how I would perform. We have been training for a race of twice the distance so endurance really shouldn't have been a problem… but how would I respond mentally? Would pre-race nerves sap some precious energy? Would I have a not uncommon panic attack during the swim? Could I actually race a bike instead of just riding it? Would I have enough energy left for the run to take advantage of my best discipline?

My first goal was to complete the swim in good shape. My second goal was to finish without injury. With that said I still had some time goals. I took a SWAG (Scientific Wild Ass Guess) and thought 40 minutes for the swim was a nice round and attainable number. I expected to take it easy in T1 because of nausea and balance problems I'd had in open water swim practices… 4 minutes. For the bike an average of 18.0 mph was another nice round number… enough of a carrot since my best training rides around Mercer Island were in the high 17.x mph range… 83 minutes. I only had to rack my bike and change shoes in T2… 2 minutes. For the run I promised myself not to push too hard as I figured this was the discipline I was most susceptible to injury… 8 min/mile avg = 50 minutes. Add it all up and you get 2 hours and 59 minutes. Oooh! I had a chance to break 3 hours my first time out. :)

Pre race: Woke up Sunday morning at 5am for the 9am race and immediately put a pot of water on the stove to boil… I was cooking pasta for breakfast. Yes, pasta. I've tried the common toast/peanut butter/banana breakfast before (BTW, this is my usual daily breakfast) but for whatever reason my body responds better during a workout if I have complex carbs. My fuel for the race was also going to be primarily complex carbs… a mix of Hammer's Perpetuem and Heed. We all left for the race at 6:30am. Perhaps a bit early but I had read in previous events that parking was limited and we didn't want to get caught without a convenient parking spot to lug our gear to the transition area. We arrived at 7am and were directed to a parking spot up front. I got out to have a look around but resigned myself to the warmth and dryness of Jeff's Jeep… it was raining and had been for most of the morning. I tried not to let the rain bother me and just convinced myself I was going to be wet from the swim so why not the whole race. After a few minutes in the Jeep we realized spots in the transition area were allocated on a first come first serve basis… remember this is my first ever tri so I was still trying to figure things out! We all got out and claimed our spots on the same rack near the exit of the transition area. Jen had the foresight to equip each of us with a large plastic trash bag so all our gear was kept dry.

It was now about 7:30am… an hour before the participants' meeting and 90 minutes before the actual start of the race. A lot of time to get nervous and contemplate the morning ahead… but surprisingly I felt quite calm. Now, if you were to ask my car mates Jeff, Jen and Melinda they might disagree but I had been more nervous before tennis matches, autocrosses and even intramural soccer matches than what I was feeling just before this race. My anxiety on a scale of 1-10 was a solid 3.

A team picture and then it was time to get in our wetsuits although I admit to looking around at the other competitors to see if they were doing the same… didn't want to look like a first timer, you know! After our wetsuits were donned another team picture. 8:30am rolls around and I'm tweaking my transition area and listening to the announcer. I'm unable to convince any teammates to join me for a warm-up swim so I head down the boat ramp alone to test the water… cold but warmer than our outings in Angle Lake. I warm-up with about 200 meters and then retreat to wade by the shore to await the start. I have an urge to pee… apparently Jeff and Lee already have… but I hold off thinking I can just as easily do it during the race.

Swim: We all wade in and the countdown begins… 45 seconds… 20 seconds… 10-9-8… For some reason I had decided to adjust my goggles and the strap was now twisted. I was still adjusting when the countdown hit zero… I thought, "No big", knowing I was going to count to ten after the gun before starting the swim in order to find a clear path (thanks for the tip, Greg!). My anxiety is now about 1 on the 1-10 scale. Really. I have an equipment problem in my first ever triathlon, the race has started and I'm feeling absolutely calm. It was at this point I knew I was going to have a good day. I quickly get the strap straightened and I'm off.

I set my sights on the first buoy. But is that orange blip the buoy or someone's swim cap? Silly me… we're all wearing blue or yellow swim caps… the orange blip is the buoy. I'm a little worried about my sighting as this is only my fourth time on open water and only the second time I'm using a particular sighting technique, but I'm making progress and the orange blip is getting bigger and bigger. My breathing is well under control, I feel very relaxed and my confidence is high. The whole swim I felt great… sure I was making elementary sighting errors and I'd run into the occasional competitor… but I knew I had the swim in the bag. Just eight months ago I couldn't even swim the width of a pool and here I was about to finish a one mile swim (consensus is the course was a little longer than the standard 0.93 miles) in open water. Around the last buoy and I set my target on the boat ramp. I swim until both hands feel solid ground and get up to walk up the ramp. Time for the swim? At this point I have no idea. I didn't wear a watch nor did I see a clock when I emerged from the water. I briefly accept the congratulations from Andrew's wife, Emily, yet I see she is still focused on the water so I know I'm not the last one out. In fact I'm 178th out of 210. Time: 39m55s.

T1: I knew from my previous open water swims that I'm susceptible to nausea and balance problems when emerging from the water. Ear plugs seemed to have helped but I still take it easy in T1 to make sure I got my bearings. I felt fine but still walked up the ramp to the transition area. I started to strip off my wetsuit when I looked around and noticed there were quite a few fellow teammates there with me. Looking at the results seven of us emerged from the water within a two minute span. No wonder T1 seemed so crowded! Time: 4m21s.

Bike: I head out on the bike. It's an out-and-back course and I knew from previous race reports and looking at elevation profiles that it was a gradual 1.5% grade to the turn-around point once we got to the main road. In the meantime I'm trying to navigate my way up Reservoir Rd and it's numerous speed bumps. We had driven the course the day before but it looked more rolling hills than a gradual climb… even after hearing from a couple who had just ridden the course that the elevation profile I mapped online was correct. I pass a few riders on the way out of the park and through the community college when we hit the main road. I'm only on it a short time when I begin to hope the elevation profile is correct. I'm barely doing more than 16 mph and even the downhills feel like uphills. I pass more riders on the way so I know I'm not the only one struggling to maintain a respectable pace. I hear the unmistakable drone of a carbon fiber wheel approaching and I'm passed at a good clip. It would turn out to be one of only two people who passed me on the bike.

My trusty Garmin indicates the turn-around is near. Sure enough… I round the corner and see the single cone in the middle of the road. I note my average speed is 16.3 mph when I hit the turn-around… I'm going to have to really haul to hit the 18mph goal. I heed the official's warning of the slick surface and slowly take the 180 degree turn. I shout out, "it's all downhill from here" to the oncoming cyclists hoping my words are true. Well, it didn't take but a few seconds to feel the rush of speed. I don't know if there was a head wind on the way out but I was now flying. I hit a top speed of over 29 mph and was consistently over 23 mph for most of the ride back. I see my average speed break 18mph and my confidence is again high. Oh, yeah… remember how I neglected to pee at the beginning of the swim. That urge is now quite strong but I try to put it out of my mind. I pass a few more cyclists as we pass back through the community college and head back down Reservoir Rd. I trip the timing mat with an official time of 1h21m22s and avg speed of 18.3 mph. Better yet I make up 35 places on the bike. I'm now sitting in 143rd place.

T2: I'm more in tune with this transition than I was during T1. I quickly rack my bike, remove my gloves/helmet, sit down and swap shoes, grab my hat and fuel belt and I'm off. Time is a more respectable 1m28s.

Run: My cardio feels strong but my legs are a wee bit tired from pushing hard on the bike. I make a mental note to practice more bricks. The run starts on a rolling trail. The morning rain had made things a bit muddy but it was still quite passable. I settle in at a comfortable pace and remember my promise to not push too hard on the run. I have bigger aspirations this year so it's important I avoid any injuries. After about a mile we finally hit asphalt but it isn't until about mile two that I finally have my running legs. The course is another out and back. I see Jeff coming the other way first followed by Sean about a mile later. I hit the turn-around point… another single cone… and try to get fancy with a 180 degree pivot. I nearly sprain my ankle when I nearly lose my balance and my foot slips at the edge of the asphalt trail. Doh! Remember, no injuries! Luckily I'm okay and maintain my pace. The trusty Garmin says I'm moving along at a respectable 8m30s per mile… yet slower than my initial goal of an 8min/mile. Oh well! I'm about to finish my first triathlon and feeling strong. I quickly exchange props and high fives with Lee, Michelle, Melinda, Barb, Sarah A, Andrew, and Sarah H who are coming the other way… and then Debi and finally Jen. I make a strong push for the finish as I'm being cheered on by Jeff, Sean and other competitors who are already done and cross the line with a cumulative time of 2:58:43. I made up 26 spots on the run and was not passed. I finish 117th out of 192 finishers. Time for the run was 51m36s.

Post Race: I'd completed the swim in good shape, finished my first triathlon without injury and beat my time goal. A solid trifecta. And everyone on the team finished… and more importantly without injuries. Congrats to all who participated! Kudos to my teammates/housemates, Vince and Emily for a fun event and a great weekend; And, of course, a special thanks to all the Onion Man volunteers that made this five star race possible. You all rock! I had a blast all weekend and I'm sure I'll be back in Walla Walla for next year's event. I am an Onion Man!

Race Results: http://www.racecenter.com/results/2008/omt08.htm

Mercer Island Half Marathon 03/09/2008 - Improvement

What better way to gauge my improvement than to run another half marathon just six weeks later. I had always planned on running the 2008 Mercer Island Half Marathon after running the 10km version the previous year. Another motivation... Team in Training alums had used the 2007 race as preparation for their successful 2007 Ironman Canada campaign.

After analyzing how well I felt after our practice half marathon just six weeks previous I thought I would again let heart rate dictate my pace... except I would increase the upper threshold by a few beats per minute. While this would normally allow me to run a faster pace the trip around Mercer Island is quite a bit hillier than the relative flat course we ran for our practice.

However, just a few days before the event I came down with a cold. Nevertheless I was at the start line ready to test my fitness in a real race.

All data courtesy of my Garmin Forerunner 305:

Mile	Avg Pace	Avg Heart Rate
1	7m45s	149 bpm
2	7m55s	160 bpm
3	8m07s	162 bpm
4	8m12s	164 bpm
5	8m01s	163 bpm
6	8m21s	163 bpm
7	8m22s	163 bpm
8	8m22s	162 bpm
9	8m19s	161 bpm
10	8m24s	163 bpm
11	7m39s	164 bpm
12	8m06s	167 bpm
13	7m56s	167 bpm

Official time for the 13.1 miles was 1h47m06s with a chip time of 1h46m55s. An improvement of nearly four minutes even though this was on a much more difficult course and my fitness was compromised by a cold. My training appears to be on track!