Ultraman Day #3: 52.4 Double Marathon Hawi to Kona:

Here goes…the final installment. The race reporting might be more grueling than the actual event. So, where do I begin… how about the beginning…Hawi. Hawi is the usual turnaround for the Ironman World Championships. For UM, it symbolizes a dark stroll to the start-line (this day started at 6am, so we were literally in the deep dark night). However, the start was very grassroots and comfy…not a lot of fanfare and hoopla as IM and other events have become. I enjoy this because it keeps the purity of the actual event/sport.

As UM Ohana, we gathered in a circle and embraced hands to hear the shell horn be played along with race director Jane Bockus give us her blessing on the day’s events to come. Once completed, a quick countdown to the start was completed by those around and we were off on our 52.4 mile…ahh jaunt?

The thoughts that went through my head were that of a movie a good friend, namely Bill Kent, had given me throughout our summer training… Hidalgo. This movie played a huge part in my self pacing(weird what comes to mind in times like these). In a nutshell, Hidalgo(a Mustang ridden by a Cowboy), goes over to the Sahara to race across the desert with Stallions. The Cowboy says, to his horse, it’s all for show (the blazing start)…we’ll see them later. So, I stuck to my plan, like the Cowboy, of using my Garmin and trying to hold a 9min/mi -8:30pace the whole time…stimulation control!

Well, I can’t remember all the details of the race (miles kinda all run together; no mile markers or etc.), but I do remember my routine. It went a lil like this…mtn dew on the :15s and gel/water on the :45s for the first marathon and for the second it became an exhausting task of sponges/ice. Every mile for the first marathon my crew were set up… from Jay ice/sponges which in turn he would yell to Tyler, based on my murmur what nutrition was needed. This was exhausting because it was a routine repeated almost 30x’s. But, it was a necessary routine which proved beneficial to my survival out on the Queen K amongst the lava fields. I kept saying to myself, just do your job…keep moving forward and do not rest until you cross that finish line. Nothing fancy, just stay on task. Sometimes, did call for some extreme measures…some laughs and cries. Here are some random thoughts/highlights as I have recalled:

-eating an entire pizza the night before (in a couple settings) was stellar for performance, in hindsight.
-coffee catches up with you early…what to do… ask your crew for a towel and they look at you dumfounded…huh, that wasn’t on your plan/ I think neither was this bladder that is about to explode. I wasn’t going to stop and def. was not going to chance my shoes getting soaked soo early (around 10mi mark). So, the towel that was hanging on the back of my crew’s truck for a length time was not from a spilled drink in their truck ;)
-Where did the knives come from…after about 13 miles(first section net downhill) my quads felt as if they were being stabbed repeatedly with knives…thank you to Gary Wang’s crew for the pain relief…I would request two more rounds via my crew during this experience…after the fact, I’ll cry like a baby…IT HURT!
-Shi#...not already! Maybe somewhere around mile 14 my 4th toe on the left “blew” a nail ;)…what to do. Pray it will numb over soon…sure enough, it did. But, when showering the next day…you can say I could have donated a full length skin and toe nail bed including nail to any needy takers ;)
-Hills…you ARE my friend. Who would have thunk it, but they felt oh soo good and there were a lot of them…I just said in my mind…keep ‘em coming…no more downhills.
-Sign language…what??? After Tyler missing some nutrition requests, Jay instituted some interesting signals for his son so he could have ready what I needed ahead of time. To paint a pic, Jay started yelling about 20 to 30 yds to Tyler my requests, but the music they were playing in truck to motivate me was too loud… therefore, the “lava language.” The best was a Bullwinkle style 1arm antler which I believe signified Gatorade? Anyway, the “lava language” worked and they were able to keep the tunes flowing on the truck as I ran through the temporary aid stations each mile.
-Mud…why am I passing coffee as #1?(at the finish)…because idiot you just ran for almost 8hrs…thanks to “The Kid Who Summited Everest” book(nice read from Man vs Wild), read this summer, for the mental reminder dehydration does occur in extreme cases…should have taken an IV, but nothing a couple/three/four bottles of water could not remedy…sorry kidneys!
-Dougie…step aside I’m finishing this one alone! The line thrown out to Doug as I was coming into the 47-8mi mark. It would have been nice to have him pace me, but I wanted to do this one alone (kind of a purist; nothing personal Doug). Thank you, though for your support of making your bike available as a backup.
-Icepack/ Elevation: two days following that was the routine as my legs ballooned to the size of tree trunks.
-Now, two weeks later…I ‘m finally somewhat right! Legs are coming back and not exhausted/living in a haze. Ok, back to the story…

…It, my routine, was working…as I made it to the half marathon checkpoint then marathon checkpoint…the only two points during the trek there were people around and announcing did I see/hear how well I was doing. This energized me and in my mind, I looked forward to a 26.2 & a half checkpoint;mi 39ish (made up point in my mind; to pull me forward). But, it never came... the Ultraman staff only did the couple points, but what did fuel my progression was gobbling up the field of fading runners(strategy was paying off...more importantly power numbers on the previous days set me up nicely).

This was a big confidence builder and kept me moving forward. This gobbling up of the field continued until about the 5k mark where the K-Swiss train lead by Maik Twielsek and Chris Lieto(who leap frogged all afternoon sending out positives;Tx guys) decided to pick up some steam and came rolling by…great job Hillary(only pass of the day). Which was a lil frustrating because if I could continue I had one more runner in my sights to pass…I believe a Brazilian athlete, but not sure what was left in the tank to get within top ten run finish. I took the conservative route and held a just under 9min/mi finish. In hindsight, could have pushed it as I had some mojo left in the 'ol legs. But, my goal this year was to finish and I did not want to do anything to jeopardize that. As I turned off the Queen K making a right onto the last mile or so it finally dawned on me I was going to do this thing called a double marathon…I cracked a cheesy smile and made my way to the old airport pier where the finish line was and saw the clock as I neared. It read 7hrs and 50some minutes…I turned on another gear and slid under the 8hr mark with a 7:59…making a sub 9min double. I was ecstatic!

Final Stats:

Day 1:
Swim(6.25mi)3hr:18min
Bike (90mi) 5hr:58min

Day 2
Bike (171 mi)8hr:56min

Day 3:
Run (52.4 mi)7hr:59min

Total Time: 26hrs:13min:04sec

Finish: 15th Place Overall/ 11th Male


Afterthoughts,Lessons learned & Tips to follow in next post...

Ultraman 2010 Race Report Day Two Bike: 171 mi Volcanoes to Hawi

Day two started out in the middle of the night downing a couple Ensures/more Powerbars then back to sleep (I have done this for the past few IM races I have done and seem to work flawlessly with digestion come race morning). Upon getting up, I felt a little slow…weather at end of day one most likely culprit. But, the show must go on, therefore I dawned my trusty Kit(see through back bumper and all; for the Knapps group;) and made my way to the start area…about 10 min drive from the military base we were staying at on Volcanoes.

Once arriving, I settled on layers, 30 temps, including arm warmers and my cycling jacket which could be peeled once the 25mi descent was completed from Volcanoes to just above the Red Rd portion of the ride. The start was kind of anticlimactic…we all started in a group and bombed down 25 miles of slick pavement from a previous evenings all night rain. The descent went well, however I missed that “left turn at Albuquerque”;) the descent was soo fast and the course marked with just lil arrows at turns, I was like…shi#...I missed the turn and had to backtrack about a block uphill to get back on course. That is the only trouble with riding an open course that cover soo much territory…there is need for a lot of crew directing and prior knowledge of course or you undergo such calamity(my crew was not in this section as it was a nonsupport zone). After making my way back on course, I HTFU to a red-light with about 3-4 other riders…yes, you must obey traffic laws as this is not a closed course…messes with your race mode! Then onto a bypass section of the course where I greeted by pullover/pullover…wtf…as it turns out some locals were cheering and yelling from their cars and driving slowly next to another rider and I…the official is giving us the third degree that we can’t have our crew talking to us from a moving vehicle…I’m pleading my case and the Brazilian rider is a s well then luckily my crew comes rolling by dawning the 513 number and caution riders/runners banner on the back window and the official sees it and lets me go(no penalty).

Now, I’m frazzled, it takes me a few miles to settle in then bam I drop a chain on a minor climb…wtf…it pops back on then I’m descending into the Red Rd portion of the ride(a nonsupport area; about 40miles into the ride). Here it is a scenic ride along the coast…beautiful, but slow with rollers (no crews allowed; locals don’t like the traffic on the two lane rd). Once out of here and dropping a few riders and seeing only one ahead of me; I used him to pace me out of the rd…then dropped him…of which turned out to be the last time I would see another rider all day…the rest of the ride was done solo. Nutrition went well all day…thanks to my crew for endless support…intake consisted of powerbars/shotblox/Ensure/Gator/Gels…pretty much alternating on the :30s with solids and liquids on the :15s…no lows today!

From the Red Rd, came an interesting ride to Hilo town. You had to make your way through a mall area…back on the bypass and there were a series of 8 lights…ahh made the first few, but did not fare so well with the middle few…waited there for what felt like an eternity with mega Black Friday traffic. Once through the lights, I made my way into Hilo...one word…Beautiful (definitely would like to go back and check this area out). This section takes you through a resort area, along the waterfront then over the “singing bridge” which is a metal grate bridge (accident observed here while I was riding. It turns out; it was the massage crew who were rear-ended (all ok). Then onto 19…in hindsight this road is NEVERENDING. It climbed all day…about 60 miles of climbing from Hilo to Waima town. And within this area there are the “three gulches” which all drop rapidly bend to the left then right and present a steep climb. The first two were more challenging than the last. Once past these in my mind, I thought I would be moving…think again (I drove this section a couple days ago, but it was nightfall before getting here…so much for impressions…the climbing went on and on…finally after seeing signs for Waimea town 15 miles I knew I was home free as I rode the last section Monday afternoon…it consists of the Kohala Mtn pass and a bombing descent into Hawi. But, another accident lurked a head. Luckily, my crew saw this and supplied me with some bottles prior as I did not see them till after my ascent on the Kohala pass. Once into Waimea town it’s a fast few miles to the Pass. Once on to the Pass, I steadily plowed through and then saw Jay and Tyler my crew pass me asking if I needed anything. All was well, and I was now going to fly to the finish. This last section is fun…speeds in excess of 50mph are achieved. Just had to look out for that hard left hand turn into Hawi...there it was and then there was the finish line.

Bang Day two 172 mile ride done and done. Off to massage, then banged out half of a pizza then later that night ate the other half and settled into bed. Oh, this night was spent at an Organic retreat…quite the experience with bungalows and outdoor showers (like Gilligan’s island). Didn’t quite care just wanted to rest for tomorrow’s Double!


The “Double” coming soon…

Ultraman World Championships 2010 by way of The Performance Center at Knapps

Because you asked here goes the tale of Ultraman...

2010 Ultraman World Championships Hawaii Race Report


Logistics(must be more OCD than IM):


Pack bike with normal IM preparation of everything in Trico Bike Box; however now with a kick…almost double everything up as this event is a stage event with a crew supporting you. Therefore, you want your crew to have everything at their immediate disposal to keep you moving barring any mechanicals on the bike and don’t forget the lengthy swim…two sets of goggles/wetsuit, jelly cream, nutrition(Ensure), Aquaphor, Bodyglide, sandals and run goodies…two of everything. You never know what will happen out there. So, you get an idea of the enormity of equipment needed, now what to do with it. First, get it there and get yourself there to acclimatize to the climate (30s NJ to 80s HI).

I arrived the Sunday the week before the event(race was the following Fri, Sat and Sun). What does one do…put bike together, get bike inspected(must have lights; front/back, mirror, spare tubes, tires, water cages…essentially you are given an inspection sheet and you can take it to two locations in Kona to get the stamp of approval. Ok, so I get it inspected, but my Crew Chief Jay insists I have a backup bike…where? Hell, the people of Kona are TRI FRIENDLY! One of his friends lent me his Cervelo P3 fully carboned out without hesitation. Thank you Doug! Next, my mind is at ease except for the swim course and bike courses. So, I decide Monday to ride Day I’s bike couse...it had some serious climbing out of the swim transition and I wanted to iron my gearing out for this…the 53/39 11/26 might be not enough after I experienced this Kam III hill out of transition…luckily I brought the ‘ol 11/28(gave great range in hindsight). A compact with the 11/26 and 11/28 might have been even more comfortable, but choice was based upon ability to run on Day III. And the 11/28 gave me the ability to hold a nice cadence while climbing (90rpms/trying to keep the watts around 200 with not too many spikes).



Tuesday I decided I wanted to swim and get a feel for the Kohalas(mtn Pass on finish of day II). Therefore, had Jay join me for about a mile swim at the pier (start area for IM World Champs) and had a great time chatt”n it u with locals at the turn buoy in the middle of my swim (yes, they had their dog and were just chill”n..they said it was their am routine). After the “social” I headed back and felt comfortable with the logistics of the swim and conditions. That afternoon Jay took me up to Waimea town (Starbucks first ;) and let me have at the Kohala mtn pass and descent into Hawi. The accent is a 6.25 6% avg climb up… not too bad(remember Day two's ride is 172miles, therefore there is 150 miles before the Pass and another 10-15plus miles of descending into Hawi(fast/very fast).



As I was completing all this preparation, I discover I had some serious chest congestion(not fun), from one who is rarely ill I must have picked it up in travel. Per the local pharmacists rec, I grabbed some mucinex and clariten. In hindsight I lived, but not without a lil anxiety created. So Wednesday Jay drops me off at the pier for a solo swim practice(locals say water is rough…I say hmm looks fine to me as my perspective was IM Florida with 4-5 foot breakers in swim practice….another confidence builder going into event with water conditions. After swim, go to registration where I’m running late….where were you…I reply picking pineapples ;) It turned out ok, I just missed my intro to standup when they called my name and gave my bio. But, still made it for breakfast. I knew this race was something special when at registration each athlete was given a FULL GATORADE WATER COOLER, not just a bottle. It was filled with sunscreen, gels, powders, K-Swiss gear, sneakers, goggles, etc. ...toatally blew me away. Ok, after registering Jay says…let’s get going. He states this will be a long day(course recon; around whole island). Truth be told, the ride around the island totaling 6-7 hrs was amazing….was a great way to scope out the course as to not be not be surprised on race day, while at the same time allowing for some of the beauty of Hawaii to be taken in. This day also never ended(in a good way)…we had to pick up Jay’s son Tyler(my other crewman) as he still didn’t eat dinner and I found myself at Humphy’s Bar/Grill in the middle of a bachelorette party being photographed with the soon to be bride…tx Jay…what a wing-man! After that Thursday before the race was a chill day, relaxed! Was a lil concerned I had done NO running, my fav, but I said the training is in the bag and this will be a long weekend…save the dogs! Ohh, almost forgot…Dougie(a local triathlete/Jay's friend) brought his bike to the breakfast and he did a fast side by side fit with my bike and now as an Ultraman athlete I had two machines ready for battle or if need be wheels that could be stripped Tour De France style in case of a puncture. Thanks again Doug!


Day I Swim 6.25 Miles Kailua Bay to Keahou Bay & 90 Mile Bike to Volcanoes(7600ft of elevation).

Ok…the day I was most concerned with, because of never swimming the 6.25 mile distance in open water turned out to be the most enjoyable…loved the swim! ;) Nutrition started with downing 2 Ensures/ 2 Powerbars throughout the night and arrived at the pier around 5:30 for 6:30 start. Nervous…naah, more excited as Ultraman creates a different feel in comparison of Ironman(supportive/grassroots appeal)…as well as I had time goals in mind, but it was my first time here and I really didn’t want to put any pressure on myself…so I just went with the flow. After listening to some music in Jay’s truck, I dawned the wetsuit and made my way down the pier;typical IM World Championships transition area, now instead of a swim warmup I went to the other side of the bay to check on my paddler, April…who was setting up. I wanted to make sure she had my feeding routine down and I also wanted to put her at ease and make sure there was no stress on here to meet my needs…I told her to have fun and just “Float the Zeppelin” on down every: 30 min (Zeppelin being slang for my Ensure filled water bottles (I’ll tell you the story in person). As the plan was to take feedings every :30 min of approx one Ensure 250 kcals and alternate that with one gel if needed with water…plus downing some fresh gum keep the mouth and spirit happy;)…this routine worked throughout as I took feedings every :30…kept me take oriented and looking forward to something as I utilized April's Outrigger as a swim buoy to pull me forward.

At first, you start in a mass at the pier, like IM, but with only 35plus other athletes and your paddler meets you somewhere around the half mile mark…as you pop your lil head out and say, April over here…the swimmer boss, the swimmer boss (sorry bad Tattoo impersonation). Once we married, we got into a rhythm and I asked April to stay on my left as that is my strong side for breathing…in the pool I bilateral, but in open water I tend to breath to one side, later on I headed into a bilateral, but in the beginning I stuck to the left. Well, 6.25 miles is a long swim, what happened…happy to say it was pretty uneventful, but here are some details…submarined April a couple times…you get into the zone and forget about sighting and crash into the boat…guess I was swimming in a straight line;)…also ran into some small Jelly’s, felt like lil razor cuts from shaving, but manageable. Water was pretty calm, with just some rougher waters approximately a mile to a mile and a half out from the finish. It was here, I had to work a lil harder, which felt a lil tough because at the last feeding April said look…we are almost there…so I put on a "burn" only to hit this rough patch…shoulders were a lil tired, but made it through into the Keahaou Bay which had us swim around a buoy before exiting the water (only confusing part on the day). Later this was explained to me that there was some vauna or other poisonous marine life if we went straight. Once in, lied on the ground to have wetsuit stripped only to hear the announcer say, cross the arch, I wasn’t getting back up till Jay ripped the wetsuit off…I maybe lost a minute or so…to finish in 3:18. Very happy with this…now transition onto bike for 90 mile trek to Volcanoes….
Bike: Once out of the water/wetsuit off Jay met me with my bike on top off the hill from the swim finish. Normally, I would leave my shoes on my bike and slide my feet in, but the Kam III hill starts immediately so I decided in a half woosey state to put them on the ground and put them on…good decision in hindsight as the climb starts immediately. Also, earlier in the week I decided to change the 11/26 to an 11/28(for bailout)…perfect! A compact would have even allowed for more spinning, but would probably cause some loss on the downhills…a 54/55 with a 39 may be a better choice for greater downhill speed? Once settled in the Kam III climb was a formality…I spun it out in the 39/28 maybe averaging over 225 watts with a just under a 90 cadence(think’n save it for the run and even before that the second day’s 171 mi ride. In my mind, I broke this 90 mile ride into quarters…On Monday I rode 40 miles out so Kam III to the the 40 mile point was 1st qtr climb/establish nutrition (:30s ½ Bar/water and: 15s Gator)…well as it turned out the swim did not do well for my solid idea so I started on backup plan of liquids only (Gatorade/mtn dew with gels/water…it worked;). Take home: have choices…tx crew for rolling with my alterantive plan. Once past the ¼ mark the 2nd qtr(20-40mi was “rolling” in my mind). This area went well! I was only flanked by another rider during this portion, so it was pretty much a solo bid. The miles 40-60 included some technical fast descents(luckily it was dry…then hell broke loose into Volcanoe). The road up to volcanoes is a slow grueling small chainring climb. If the conditions were good it would be a grinder for about an hr or so. But, because of the headwinds, it turned into an almost two hr ordeal. Probably the most challenging ride I have done to date. Once I made it into the park, I thought I was there…only to find myself on the bike for another hr…it is at this point the rainbow was reached(had photographed it a couple days prior on recon of course mission). But, there was no happiness here…went through a low point…popped a gel and downed some water and made it through to the finish. Here, I met my crew, downed a couple cup of noodle soups and cleaned myself up in the bathroom sink so I would be ready for the massage that awaited at the Military Base... where we would be staying for the night. The massage was heaven…completely relaxing. Once done, headed to room, where I never left, including a 45min shower where I just stared at the wall…it felt soo good and I was half out of it. Once exiting my shower coma, I put down some more nutrition which included my homemade concoction of pasta with soy/ginger sauce (goal was to keep digestion easy) and watched the xmas movie Elf with my crew before hitting bed early around 9-10pm. A couple Ensures and Powerbars throughout the night and some Oats/coffee and I was ready for Day II. Felt good, but definitely a ill blurry eyed! The show must go on!

Day Two Bile; 171 mi Volcanoes to Hawi….coming soon!

Lives Change, Paths Change and Never Too Late for a Another Chance...

Pics first...
The Inn at Rodanthe...

...Ocracoke Ferry
...Hatteras Marina...

...fishing pier(notice the twisting from previous stroms)...

...entrance, over the Dunes, from the house to the beach.

Ok...hav'n fun on vaca...probably too much think'n, but what else is one to do transversing the island. Yeah, I couldn't stay off the bike...its just too beautiful here so I banged out a century Timetrial type ride/5 mile beach run brick yesterday(pool got boring) which allowed me to take in all OBX has to offer(pics above). Notice the house with the blue awnings...don't recognize...its Serendipity. The Inn made famous by the Nicholas Sparks inspired movie, Nights in Rodanthe strarring Richard Gere and Diane Lane.

There in lies my inspiration...the theme; "Lives Change, Paths Change and Its Never too Late for a Second Chance." From this you get my interpretation, applicable to training/ feel free to carry it over to Life, as well. If you do what you did, you'll get what you got and in the case of Serendipity if it continued to stand where it stood it's faith would have got what so many previous houses that lied here on the coast got...Destruction(failure)...the same usually holds true in training.

Therefore, if one does not reach out to someone they trust i.e., coach to guide them or allow them to truely see what they are doing ultimate stagnation or even failure will ensue if "the pounding of the tides" keep crashing upon. So, what is one to do...

...take time to step back, assess(find out who you truly are/have become), constructively criticize, devise a plan of action and with much discomfort(as it is change and it does not feel good), M-O-V-E yourself to "higher ground" and ultimately success.

Remember, this takes maturity, patience, tremendous self assessment and a lot of hard work, but it will be all worth it. Good luck!

Serendipitously,

Chris

aka the "Rodanthe Philosopher"

Colorado Recap, Tips and Nights in Rondanthe...

Hello... you know how I "roll": pics first.... atop Caynonlands; Islands in the Sky Ride....

FridayMay 7th : La Salle Mtn Loop; Moab, Utah

One word....EPIC! This 80+ mile ride was amazing...it started out with about 30 miles of flat terrain(had a blowout in the paceline, but the crew switched my tire out like I was in the Tour; big problem because I thought I would hammer it back up to the group. Well...not soo much fun red lining it(Thanks Gordo for the pacing back) among free ranging bulls and cattle because as you guessed it...another 2+hr climb up to 10,000 ft lurked ahead...didn't get my wind till half way through(but I caught the 'boys...and took it out on an Epic descent back into Moab! And because the almost 5 hrs on the bike wasn't enough...you guessed it....a 5 mile "bricked" run through downtown Moab(never did find Taylor Swift or Justin Beiber as they were sited wandering through town).

Tip: Descending...when descending try to relax the upper body and shift your weight into the turns with your outside foot; foot furthest out pushing down on the pedal and your inside hand pushing down on the bars. A perfect example of this would be that of the motorcycle riders you see racing at speeds of 100+ mph and their knees are just about scraping the ground on the turns. To test this theory, stand your bike up and hold the top tube and keep leaning it toward you with your weight pushing against...you'll see you can just about go parallel with your bike. Therefore, practice and gain confidence on your favorite descent...your tires will grab the road, but not pebbles, oil or the like.

Saturday May 8th: Islands in the Sky; Canyonlands Ride
This was a pretty leisurely ride with a twist...well was suppose to be...let the 'boys be 'boys. There was a watts per kilo contest, breakaways and interval sessions completed in the middle of this ride. As Forest once said, "You Never Know What Your Gonna Get." Great fun. Lunch was thrown in the middle of today's ride and an option to ride back to the hotel from the Canyonlands National Park. Of course, I rode back...thought I was cool pulling the group out...only to be dropped and not have the ability to get back on...so like a dangling carrot I kept the group in site...the strong winds did not make the 30 miles back fun, but what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. After all, there is no drafting in tri...right...and these guys in the lead I can accept being ahead of me...as they are sub 9hr IM guys.

Tip: Patience...know your pace! Check your ego at the door...especially in an IM race or training session with others of varying ability. After the day is done, its you that's reflects back in the mirror. Therefore, do not ride or train someone else's race or session pace. Keep the big pic of your training week or year in perspective. Don't blow it and a force 1-2 days or weeks off because you got into "match."

Sunday May 9th: Bike Packed(next stop OBX for R/R...well maybe...NOT, on the rest) and Long Run
Pretty standard day...2 hrs on the road except for the 13% climb out of Moab into the outskirts of town where I was being passed by Dune Buggys. At that point, I said, I better head back into civilization to complete this run. It went without harm or foul, but the legs don't move as gracefully as they did at the beginning of the week............Why?............ok, drum roll please....the TOTALS:

Swim: 3000 yds(Ok...I only did one token swim ;)

Bike: 403 miles

Run: 56 miles

Hours: 34 hrs of Training

Currently, taking a recovery week with 4 swims under my belt(ahh the shoulders so tired) and "Nights in Rondanthe" planned. For those of you who are not in the know, the Richard Gear drama took place here in the Outer Banks(OBX) where I am awaiting arrival of the Specialized machine to get some nice riding in amongst the beautiful terrain change of flats vs mtns. Keep posted, for some pics and further adventures...I'm feeling lots of Time Trialing coming on these "runways" with L-O-T-S of "Non Stroke Additional Pool Time," if you catch my drift.

Reminder, Next Monday the 24th starts the summer Computrainer Session at PCK. The plan is to hit interval sessions twice a week to supplement your outdoor riding(if you are venturing). Call Stephen at 609-393-1199 to RSVP(limited spots for summer). Hope to see you next week.

The Happy Traveler

Do'n it all over...Colorado and Utah

Ok...I had a lil technical difficulties yesterday or maybe I was just too tired to give a report. But, here goes:

But, before I do...pics first from Grand Mesa Ride Yesterday:

View from the bottom of the climb(notice the snow caps)...

...climbing in the snow pack

...Mikkel on his way to the top

...almost there...

...clowning around.

May 6th: Last Day in Fruita/Grand Junction Colorado: Passed on the am swim and rode the National Monument again(see pics in previous blog) in the am(Time Trialed it in just over two hrs...hit it hard and backed it up with a 30 min brick run. From there we packed up our stuff and to my surprise we were hitting an afternoon run before our planned trek to Moab, Utah. The run took place on some beautiful trails hugging the Colorado river...they don't make the trails out here like they do in Jersey...lots of climbing. I think everything has at least a 4% or better grade on theses trails.

Tip of the Day: If you are ever going to plan a mtn biking adventure you MUST make Fruita/Grand Junction your next destination. We were running the trails, but mtn bikers were having the absolute time of their life on these trails.

After the run, we had a picnic in the park and then headed for a scenic drive to Mab Utah. Once we arrived in Moab we "transitioned"...like true triathletes through check-in/unpacking, etc. and took on another two hr ride(positioned to teach pace-lining via Marylyn McDonald and the rest of the Endurance Corner staff...once the group got the basics down we were flowing like tour de France units. This was suppose to be an "easy" ride, but some of our Scandinavian riders thought it would be fun to lodge a breakaway from the 12-15 rider group, their attack didn't last long as a few of us covered and surged for a another 45 minutes of riding along the beautiful Colorado River.

Tip #2: When riding pace-line pretend you are reading a newspaper in front of you...in other words read what is happening with the rider in front of you, but be aware of your surroundings and keep a steady pedal stroke matching the rider in front. This will keep the accordion-effect of the group at a minimal. Check out some Team Time Trialing during this years "Tour" for a perfect example of this.

And wouldn't you know it for the second day in a row I got "Recognition"...which cam e with some Blue Seventy swag from Marilyn McDonald aka "Miss Sexy"(pictured) for my pace line skills...I was an absolute hazard to anyone around me the first day or so when I was riding this style as back at home I usually train like most triathletes(solo). Therefore, I am very proud to acquire this skill and pass it along when I get back to the Performance Center where we can maybe take some of our long rides outside(what do you say Mr. Kent?).

May 7th: La Sal Mtn. Loop(Moab,Utah) and Run

Ok...I will keep this brief...kinda carried on with the last day's events... maybe too much coffee after today's adventure. So, the plan today was to hit The La Sal Mtn Loop here in Moab, Utah...and we did. One word..."Epic." This was an unbelievable ride. It started out flat at about 3900 ft and we climbed to around 8300 ft in about 15 miles(that was Epic)... the lead up was flat(had my first blowout..that was fun...NOT...but thanks Gordo(pictured) and "Big Sexy" for the quick tire exchange...hell I though I was on the Tour. I didn't even have to fix my flat. But, getting back to the group was hell when they are working as a team...as I suffered on the first part of the ascent, but I came back strong in the middle to ride with my new Danish friends(Mikkel aka"LA Tri Guy;" check out his show Burn Notice...he's the executive producer... and the two Jans from Norway) we took the tremendous descent together back into downtown Moab. Once we finished we tacked on a brick run of about 30 min through Main Street here in Moab and that sets us up for tomorrow's journey- Canyonlands: Islands in the Sky Ride(another Epic 5 hr ride or so).

I am out...MUST take nap ;) Hit dinner and repeat...Liv'n the dream baby...Eat, Sleep and Train!

Hit that ride,

Chris

Grand Mesa Ride to 10,000 ft,Runs and Coffee

May 5th; Happy Cinco de Mayo!: Today we rocked the Grand Mesa ride. It was approximately a 2hr climb with about 5000 ft of elevation gained to the summit(The Mesa) elevation 10,000ft. It was a great experience starting in the valley(well below the snowline and making our way to the snow capped top;will have those pics to come). TIP of the Day: Layers! On such a ride have arm warmers, knee warmers, gloves and a hat under the helmet. On the way up you will not most likely need this gear on, but as the elevator goes down you better have your gear on as it gets cold descending for 20 + minutes. With that tip being said...
What goes up...must come down. The ascent was followed by a 20 min descent which was pretty gnarly at times reaching over 50 mph with some crosswinds knocking the bike around. But, I made it and "bricked" it up with a 50 min run back up the Grand Mesa ride road which posed an interesting experience running up some 8-9% grades(big fun and great prep for IM Lake Placid in July).






Following the workout what do you do...C-H-I-L-L at the local coffee shop and share "war stories."





After the coffee clutch we headed to palisades where I tagged on a tempo run in one of the parks with Gordo and a few of the 'boys who did not run earlier. For that effort I received "Recognition" and was given some swag from K-Swiss....go me ;) Well, thats it for today. Until manana where I promise some really great pics.

Chris

Cycling Camp in Colorado...Don't Miss the Adventure and Tips to Come

Pics firsts...everyone loves pics right...The Specialized machine...ready for battle. Thank you Knapps for getting her ready.

Beautiful Vista; view from the Colorado National Monument

Sunset on the Canyon

Tunnel Through...

...and another tunnel shot

Balanced Rock formation in the National Monument Park

Switchbacks as you enter the park

Entrance to the Park

The Eagle has landed...actually I arrived Sunday afternoon. I am here in Fruita, Colorado where I will be participating in a week-long cycling specific camp with EnduranceCorner.com lead by Gordo Byrn and his staff and a few surprises, namely pro triathletes Chris and wife Marylyn McDonald(Chris just placed third this past Sunday at IM St. Geogre).

The plan for the week is to:

May 3rd -- Arrival*, Evening Run Fruita (Actually did 3:00 ride in the am and because I just couldn't get enough I decided to pass on the run and do a second ride through the Colorado National Monument in the opposite direction; ride consists of a combination of climbing with a highpoint of 6600 ft+/some 10 %grades and some winding descents you may remember such movies as Cliffhanger with "Sly", Mission Impossible with Cruise and others shot here amidst the canyon backdrop). Check out the pics again above...breathtaking.


May 4th -- AM Devil's Caynon Run, Douglas Pass Ride and Afternoon Swim; AM did Devil's Caynon run. Unbelievable run through one of Colorado's Canyons. I felt like a mountain goat at times as the trail had us climbing p and down rock formations and multiple climbs too steep to run up, but I made the the warm up to the main ride.

OK, can anyone say C-L-I-M-B...this ride was 80 mi and we started around 4500ft, rode about an hour out to Douglas via some false flats;4-5%ish grade then the fun began where we made an ascent up to around 8600+ via some gnarley 13-15% kickers that smoothed out to make the 8-9% portions of the climb feel fun. OK, TIP of the Day: if you are invited on a trip to Colorado bring your climbing gears...tools of the trade a 50/34 compact up front and a nice 11/28 rear cassette on the rear. Many Thanks to Alex;Knapps Master Mechanic for all your hard work setting this up.

If you are in question if Computrainer works...Hell, I'm coming from sea level and this climb felt like cake...OK cake minus the icing(the kickers were a surprise). But, the time from November to date spent in the Indoor Cycling/Yoga Computrainer Classes paid dividends in my riding. Hope to see you at the end of May as we start another session(I miss you guys who are currently participating...hope you enjoy Jerrys and the 40 @ 6%...as I will be doing the same damage then some tomorrow via the Gran Mesa Ride its only 40 miles, but it gains 5000 ft of elevation in 20miles...we will reach the ascent at around 10,000 ft. I'm planning on bringing my oxygen mask from the little old lady down the hall in the hotel. Let you know how it goes manana. Happy riding via "Sir Edmund" Draper. Cheers.

ps- almost forgot the 75min swim session at Mesa State College...thanks Chris "Big Sexy McDonald for the swim tips...for you triathletes out there who are not coming from a swim background try strength swimming...what...glue two pullbuoys together and strap on your paddles and rock out about 60% of your workload this way. Hell, how can an IM champion be wrong, not to mention he was coached by Brett Sutton(coach of over 23 world champions...give it a try(be gentle with your shoulders though, if they are exhausted lsten to the body).

May 5th -- Swim, Grand Mesa Ride and Run;
May 6th -- Colorado Monument Ride, Swim Grand Junction, Run Fruita -- Transfer to Moab, Evening Ride Arches National Park
May 7th -- La Sal Mtn Loop, Evening Canyon Run
May 8th -- Islands in The Sky, Evening Canyon Run
May 9th -- "The Wall" Hill Climb - transfer to Grand Junction


Follow along during the week for more fun and adventure. Hope I can motivate you to get out on your own adventure this week.

Cheers,

Chris

Good Luck to PCK Athletes at IM Utah

Good Luck to PCK Athletes, Elizabeth Grundy, Sean Nouveal and Mike Dolan this weekend.

They will be taking on the newest IM event taking place on May 1st. The event will consist of a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile bike and 26.2-mile run. The inaugural event in St. George will utilize a variety of Utah's scenery, to include Sand Hollow Reservoir, Snow Canyon and the Red Cliffs Desert Reserve.

Feel free to follow their progress on http://www.ironmanlive.com/.

Make it Happen,

Drape

Can't Miss Opportunity at Knapps

The Triathlon Night event at Knapp’s Cyclery is shaping up to be a can’t miss opportunity:

-Pre and post-race nutrition lecture by Rebecca Marks Rudy from Trismarter.com
-Sprint to Ironman roundtable discussion led by Chris Draper, RD, LD, CSCS, The Director of PCK
-Saris Powertap specials
-Zipp demo wheel rides
-Specialized S-works Demos
-Making Waves Swim Coaches on hand
-PCK Yoga providing cycling specific yoga

For those who cannot make it, we are also unveiling the 12 week training programs for both the sprint and olympic distance events at the New Jersey State Triathlon. For those not in the know, the NJ State Triathlon is the premiere and largest triathlon in the state of New Jersey. Perfect for the beginner to intermediate level triathlete that wants an event-specific training program at a fraction of the cost of personalized coaching. The training plans come with a complimentary Computrainer coached session at Knapp’s as well as personal consultation with a Trismarter.com Triathlon Coach.


Hope to see you and your tri friends tonight,

Drape

Save the Date

Its All in a Day's Work...Motivation & Focus

OK, the question/s of the day are you still blogging and how the heck long were you and your weekend athletes riding at PCK? First, I'm back blogging baby...been a lil busy....a new session with yoga started, tax time and well no excuses, but the "weekend crew" and myself have been lighting up the riding hours and miles. The last statement begs the question....

...how much? A mere double century on the Computrainer a couple weeks ago, followed by another six hour riding extravaganza last weekend coupled with some Epic training hours during those weeks which included three hour plus runs, two hour swims...blah, blah, blah. Yes, a few of the PCK's riders and I did a few Epic training weeks. Why? It was spring break for some, there was a holiday thrown in there, we're nuts...we're bored...because we can...no, no, no. Because we are building an endurance base for our upcoming goals. These goals include Ironman Louisville, Lake Placid, Florida, "Moab in May"camp and hopefully another century ride Bill B.(hint...hint) amongst others. To quote one of my riders "We are F-O-C-U-S-E-D!"

OK, where am I going with this...two words Motivation and Focus. Let me share some to get you on your journey, put you back on it, or help you start one up.

Hopefully, you get the idea of whats involved in prepping for an Ironman; 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike and a 26.2 mile marathon from the above. Now, take our Epic adventure/ers and bring out the Ironman/women in yourself. Albeit, a 10 mile, 25 mile, 50 mile or 100 mile adventure. The key to doing so is wrapping your head around an event or goal. First, pick your "poison," commit to it by building slowly to your goal i.e., a 6 week riding session at the Performance Center at Knapps. As they say, Rome was not built in a day and neither will your ability to accomplish this current "unachievable."

"Unachievables" are what I like to refer to as your dreams. Call me an optimist, but if you put your mind to it and as is necessary, in the case of cycling, putting your pedal time in...yes, you can achieve almost anything. So, your mind is in check...then what...keep it there! Keep it there by carving out time to sustain your training to reach your goal. I like to schedule my week on a day planner with whiteouts where my training is to take place. You can do the same with your "Crackberry," Post Its, abacus and/or sundial. Once scheduled, be stingy with that time. Do not give it up...its sacred. Yes, wear garlic around the neck to ward off the "vampires," do not let the "lunatics" run the asylum and really lets be serious nobody ever really wants a moment...before you know it your hour or lunchtime workout time has extinguished. Take home message... your day, week or month will be posed with many challenges. Therefore, let the scheduling "focus" your attention.

The journey starts with the first few steps...

...make yours today. Before you know it life will be in a state of "Flow." You will become a better mother/father, boss/coworker, son/daughter or whatever. I challenge you to start today and sign up for an event or announce an "unachievable" publicly so you are accountable!

Motivationally,
Drape

Warm weather...now what?...Ride!

OK, we are experiencing a "heat wave" here in the Northeast. Spring has sprung, bosses are going crazy with a sudden rash of illnesses at the workplace and cyclists are hitt'n the roads. These are the facts. The question I received many times over this week in class was how do we juggle our Computrainer sessions and riding outdoors with our friends;playing hooky to maximize results. My response...

...don't get caught by the boss... that's how! Seriously, what needs to be done is an evaluation of your week. As a coach, I like to first determine how many times per week you are going to ride....lets say for sake of example 5 times...check! Next, decide on two interval days on the Computrainer...Tuesday & Thursday...check! We are almost there. How about a day where you have lots of time for a long ride, preferably a non work day...Sunday, OK...bam! All our rider needs to do is fill in the blanks for recovery and/or rest days. It's best to follow a high intensity ride day with a recovery day. Therefore, our rider will ride outside with his/her "not feeling so well or in a meeting" friends on Wednesday and Friday for easy "recovery" rides...hmm, lots of Friday afternoon appointments that will run till the end of the day. Saturday can be a rest day and Sunday will be our rider's long ride day(1:30+). The week will look like this:

Mon: Recovery(Outside)

Tues: "Speed Intervals"(PCK)

Wednes:Recovery

Thurs: "Hill Intervals"(PCK)

Fri: Recovery; "meeting day" or OFF

Sat: Recovery or OFF

Sun: Long Ride(Outside)

There you have it! If you are a current PCK rider or deciding how to juggle it all...just follow the above formula or have one of our professionals map your road or triathlon plan out for you. Next Spring Indoor Cycling Session starts Monday March 28th. Iron your days out before then. This next session promises to be an exciting one with a focused approach on interval training during the week coupled with the addition post ride cycling specific yoga stretching lead by three new additions to the PCK team, namely yoga instuctors. Endurance rides will continue during the weekend.

Remember, what happens on the road stays on the road...your boss is just as guilty as you are. Cheers!

Drape

Experiencing the Tour at PCK: Col du Tourmalet

When you get a opportunity to ride one of the "Big Three Climbs of the Tour," namely the Col du Tourmalet, where do you go to train. The Performance Center at Knapps, of course. Today, I had the opportunity to give a couple riders an opportunity to feel what it will be like to ride the Tourmalet through our Computrainers.

The Tourmalet is one of the "big three" in the tour, together with the Aubisque and the Galibier. The Col du Tourmalet is situated in the Pyrenees. Starting from Sainte Marie de Campan, the Col du Tourmalet is 17.2 km long...just under 12 miles;see graph). Over this distance, you climb 1268 heightmeters. The average percentage is thus 7.4 %.(FYI: weekly PCK Indoor Riders we experienced a more difficult ride in the 20 mile interval class at a steady 6%, but of course we didn't put in the 10 plus "Tour Days" prior followed by 80 miles before getting there...so Lance and the rest of the 'boys of the Tour win, but if you want watercooler bragg'n rights maybe you can leave that detail out).


Check out the Tour De France starting July 3rd and catch a glimpse of the Tourmalet July 22 as the riders make their way through the climbing stages. If you are going to be going away for a bike trip this summer, let us get you ready at PCK.



Go Epic,

Drape

Endurance Cycling Nutrition

They say, "Its just like riding a bike...you never forget." What is it "They" are pertaining to? The Line...the crossing of the endurance finishline; albeit an Ironman or the like. The oh so important line where you experience, for an instance, the forever lasting engrained memory of the culmination of all your hard work and sacrifice.

So, what does it take to cross that IM or other endurance event line? Discipline, persistance, sacrifice, want, need , desire or...it can be said all of these are required, but without one important tool you will never see that line or hear the "famed words." What is it you ask...Nutrition. Without nutrition an endurance feat of greater than 90 minutes is usually hampered or tagged with a big fat DNF; Did Not Finish.

Why am I focusing on food? Well, two reasons its National Nutrition Month and I just finished a coaching session with a mixed bag of endurance athletes(2 IM Athletes, A Century Rider, a partidge in a pear tree and me;IM athlete). So, lets paint today's scenario and teach you a thing or two about endurance sports nutrition.

The plan was to do a four hour Computrainer Ride on the Ironman Lake Placid Bike Course. Hell, for a couple of my riders they would deem this accomplishment a miracle if it went perfect. Hence, the choice in ride in the land of where "Miracles" happen, Lake Placid. So, now you have the picture...4 riders, a challenging hilly course and one goal...Finish...with blood sugar levels in check! Well, to put the cart in front of the horse... we all survived. But, how did the novice first timers do it. Coaching of course! I passed along my knowledge and experience of finishing multiple IM races through exhausted nutrition protocols and a lil college "edumacation" in Nutrition and Dietetics to my followers.

A few keys to my athletes success would be highlighted by:

1. Sticking to a regimen. Most worked the 15min and 45min points; alternating between solids and liquids at these time intervals. Terrain would someimes alter this experience. "Take in" on the downhills and flats and "pass" during the uphills especially the 18% grades(right Bill B).

2. Planning Ahead. All the atletes had their arsenol of nourishment including gels, bars, bananas, Gatorade, Powerade and any other simple sugars they could stash into their jersey(Bill K. remember that extra gel next time).

3. Listening to the gut. If it was churning, they backed off and popped in a lil water. As the gut settled, nutrition regimen back on. Intensity can reap havic on your digestion and absorption...practice! Don't FORCE it down if bloated.

4. Prescribed calorie amounts. Have your nutritional professional setup what your hourly needs are. Then just pick your poison. If you don't have a nutrition professional; an RD. Check out my partners at Trismarter.com they can meet all your endurance nutrition needs and they are running a special this month. Just mention "PCKTRI."

Well, its about that time to take advantage of the 4th event of triathon....Recovery. See you all at the "line". And yes the partridge did make the 4 hours solely on "pear power."

Carb Up!

National Nutrition Month®: $100 OFF SPECIAL!
March 5th, 2010
This press release from the American Association of Dietetics is just in time for the rapidly approaching 2010 triathlon season.

“National Nutrition Month® is a nutrition education and information campaign created annually in March by the American Dietetic Association. The campaign focuses attention on the importance of making informed food choices and developing sound eating and physical activity habits. Registered Dietitian Day, also celebrated in March, increases awareness of registered dietitians as the indispensable providers of food and nutrition services and recognizes RDs for their commitment to helping people enjoy healthy lives.”

In the spirit of National Nutrition Month® and Registered Dietitian Day® (March 10, 2010), we’re excited to offer $100 OFF any of our Eat2Win Sports Nutrition Services including the popular Comprehensive Training Diet Analysis, Meal Planning Solutions and Weight Managment for Peak Performance Program. This $100 OFF offer is applicable to the first month only of any of our Eat2Win monthly services and only new clients are eligible. This offer expires at midnight on March 12, 2010.

Take a look at our expert team of dietitians and triathlon nutrition experts at http://www.trismarter.com/ today for more information or to find out which service is right for you. Mention “$100 OFF" and The Performance Center at Knapps(PCKTRI) to take advantage of this special offer!

Granny, Compact or Standard Chainring

If you're reading this you survived the climbing fest this week which included some brutal climbs i.e., Richtor Pass(Actual Pass on IM Canada bike course) amongst others. By the way, for those of you who asked the actual elevation change was 1500 ft over an 11km(6mile+) climb;see diagram second arrow. So, here we go: Granny, Compact or Standard?

First, lets define each and then tell to whom or when each is relevent. If you don't care...hell, go have a cold one...I don't blame you. Ok, lets get serious...


...Granny- that lil old lady in front of you at the checkout taking forever, right? No...no...no...Granny is the term used for a triple ring up front. It usually has, referring to the number of teeth on each ring of the three rings in front, 50+,40+,30+. The standard bike with this setup usually has a 12-2o something in the rear cassette. Take home, three rings up front with each having progressively less teeth than it's larger predecesor and a 12-20 something cassette in the rear. Kappesh! Hold that thought.


Compact- only two rings up front. Large has 50 teeth and smaller has 34 teeth usually coupled by a rear cassette with 12-25.


Standard- 53/39 with a 12-25 on the rear or for weaker riders 12-27...ahh haa!

Ok, so we have defined each and just mentioned weaker riders, that begs the question, "Am I a weak or a strong rider and which setup do I need already?" Ok...ok...patience.

If you are a novice cyclist and looking to just enjoy the experience of riding then go with the triple. It will give you many options for comfortability when undergoing hilly terrain, rolling terrain or if you are just plain fatiqued on the end of a longer ride. Why? Why...because I said so...why because think of this, If the "Jolly Green Giant"(7 ft tall) was walking with "Sprout"(3.5 feet) tall...Sprout would have to take double the amount of steps to keep up with the JGG. Thus, having to work harder to keep up to the Giant who would be just plotting along. This is how gearings work. The smaller the gear ratio the faster and the larger the slower, more spinning,more comfortable choice, but you do not progress as far with each pedal stroke or in the case of Sprout neither does he.

To explain further, find the ratio between the front and back rings i.e., 50/11 equals 4.5 revolutions and 34/11 equals 3 revolutions...what?...4.5 and 3 is the amount of times your back wheel will turn based upon a pedal stroke if you chose the respective gearings. Take home, you want that ratio as close to 1:1 so put a 53/39 front chainring on and a 53/11 rear cassette on your chariot and pick the 53/53pairing(you cant do that...hehe). But, you can choose the highest gearing possible to get up that hill without experiencing a 9 out of 10 effort. This takes experience and time in the saddle. So, read on...categorize yourself, if you haven't already for a "Granny" and pick your poison(compact or standard) that will get you as close to the 1:1 within your ability.


So, that leaves the question Compact or Standard. To help you choose try to answer these two questions what type of terrain and how aggresive/strong of a rider am I. If you ride mountain passes like Richtor, long hills and/or you are an intermediate to low end rider...hit the Compact. If you predominately ride smaller hills, rollers and/or are a stronger rider choose the standard(you can always change the rear cassette for appropriate conditions i.e., 11-23 Timetrialing/racing vs a 12-25 or 12-27 for climbing. If there are longer descents following the climbs and you are worried about spinningout and losing topend speed, pick yourself up an 11-2o something rear cassette.


Well, there you have it! You are now an expert...now go wow your friends or a "Granny" with this pneumonic device, The key to "G"reat "C"ycling "S"uccess is to know your gearings from low to high. Cheers!