August Aquathalon

Well, tonight was the August Aquathalon.

It was a flounder in the water tonight. It was a bad swim, I never got into a rhythm or good pace. Now to be fair, I did forget to take off my wedding ring before the swim, and it was too late to go put in in my bag when I remembered, so I did end up swimming with my left hand in a fist the whole time so that I didn't lose the ring. So I should cut myself some slack, as I essentially was doing a fist drill on one side for the entire swim. Pretty much only pulling with my right.

I also ate too close to the race, and ended up with plenty of GI issues along the way. There was even a point that I thought of stopping the race, and hanging off of one of the life guard kayaks. However I pushed through, finished the swim and then proceeded to get lost in transition. More people filled in around my spot after I left for the start and I couldn't find my bag.

But after all that, I got out of my suit, rinsed off my feet and got my shoes and hat on. I headed out for the run. The run was OK. I got into a rhythm about 1/4 of the way into the race, and then started to pick up the pace. I got passed a lot by the usual jackrabbits. I'm still amazed they can run that fast. But as I got more comfortable I started re passing some of the people that had past me a little while before. My run ended up being pretty good, I feel like I finished strong, though I will never know my split time because I didn't have a timing chip for this race.

All in all I felt good about the race, though it clearly wasn't my best. I was about 6 minutes slower this time than my last race. I am certain that at least 4 of those minutes were lost in the swim. Even though I swam a good course and didn't have to adjust much for the buoys, I was really slow.

I get one more week of non structured training before I launch into my 5 week high intensity training for Mission Bay. I will probably get one more club race in after Mission Bay, but that will be it until next season. I've also decided that I will plan around doing at least two Olympic distance races next year, and then a half IronMan the following year. So for the time being I have answered the question I asked in my last post.

Where to go from here?

A few weeks back I finished my 3rd official race of the year, completing the Solana Beach sprint tri. It was a lot fun. First time I really pushed it, and arrived at the finish line pretty much empty. I got passed just before the finish line by someone in my age group too, I had burned enough fuel by that point that I just couldn't really mount a challenge. I didn't really realize it, until I looked at the results later and saw that he ended up beating me by .02 seconds. Grrrr.

I'm now taking a bit of a training break. I'm clearly not 18 any more, and my body is politely (and sometimes not so politely) telling me to slow down. My knees are hurting and my body is generally pretty sore. My IT band is aching and my flexibility is worse than ever before. So I'm enjoying cutting back a bit, just swimming more for run and being a bit more casual on the bike and the run. Two weeks have passed and I am starting to feel much better.

So here comes the question. Where to go from here? I have decided to make an all out high intensity effort for what should be my last race of the season. I've signed up for the October Mission Bay Sprint Triathlon. After picking up the Time Crunched Triathlete by Chris Carmichael, I'm planning to start 5 weeks of intense training at the end of this month to prepare for Mission Bay. I'd like to see what I can do when I really focus my training and kick up the intensity. How close to the top 20 in my age group can I get? At the Solana Beach race I finished 36 out of 90 in my age group with a total time of 1:09:06 I have no illusions that I can get fast enough to break the top 20 yet, but how close can I get?

So again comes the question. Where to take the racing from here? I'm fortunate enough to have a lot of races very close by. Most all of them are sprint races, with a few Olympic distance sprinkled in. There is the one half ironman (Oceanside 70.3) but for the most part just sprints. So do I just focus on sprint distance since there are so many of them around? Or, do I try to step it up to race Olympic/International distances?

In writing this post, I have come to realize that I really don't have time to train properly for the next Olympic distance race. I haven't run 6.2 miles yet, and don't think I really have the time to get myself safely up to that distance. Bike won't be an issue, and in my last tri swim group I swam about 1.2 miles, so I can make the swim. But realistically, while I could probably finish, I don't think I would be happy with the result.

So I think the next step is to continue to rest up, play and have some fun before really hitting it hard at the end of the month. I'll try to document the training as I go through it. It will probably be fun to look back on after the race.

Results from last Aquathlon

So the results are finally starting to trickle in from that last TCSD Aquathlon. I'm happy to say I improved by shedding almost 5 minutes off of my previous time! However, I'm still pretty slow, and in the bottom 3rd of my age group. But I'm getting better and having fun at it, so that is the real pay off.

My swim felt much better than the last time, but since I don't have anything other than my total time for the previous race, I can't compare my split times. But even with a better swim, I'm still not real fast at that distance. Granted, I think I need to cut myself some slack here, because I did end up having to swim back to the first buoy after following a pack off a bit off course (I couldn't really sight the buoy very well and made this mistake of following the pack) I would say less than half of those that went off course actually went back to correctly round the marker. I'm only cheating myself by not doing the full course, so I'm glad I did go back.

To make things even worse, I got to the buoy on the inside where it is basically WWF going around that turn with all the swimmers in the water. To make it even more exciting, I got my leg wrapped in the line that held the buoy, causing me to waste time and energy untangling myself from the rope (all while having people swim over and around me)

I finished with a 19:03 swim over the 1000 M (1000+ for me ... lol) course. In the last swim class we did a time trial of 450M. I finished with a time of 8:46 for that distance. So given that result, I think I tiered towards the end, or I just had a slower pace for the 1000 compared to the 450. Maybe if I swam more than once a week I would improve more, but given that the greatest gains can be made on the bike and the run, I will continue to focus my energy there, while working to slowly improve my technique in the water keeping me fresh for the bike and run. Maybe I will work on improving my sighting too ;-)

But after making it through the swim I improved on my transition time, and headed out for the run. I did what you are supposed to do and negative split my 5K. Not by a ton, but I did pick up the pace on the back half of my race. First lap of the run was a 8.07/mile avg finishing at 12:51, my second lap finished at a 12:16 bumping up the pace to a 7.85 pace. I knew I could run in the 7's, just not as long as I would like. But that is where training comes in. It felt great holding that faster pace at the end as there was at least one runner pacing me to the finish. I could hear their footsteps and breathing close behind me, then as we got within sight of the finish I could hear them pick up the pace and go for the pass. Fortunately I had enough energy left to "sprint" to the finish putting a nice gap between myself and those that were close by. It was a great feeling for sure.

Watching some of these people fly past me like jackrabbits is a bit awe inspiring while at the same time crushing. I'm pushing it at close to my max, and these people (guys and girls) just run past me like I am standing still. But then I have to remind myself that I am doing this for fun and exercise, and that back in the day I was a sprinter in track, not a distance runner. So I have to feel pretty good about the fact that I have trained myself to do this kind of distance in the first place.

So with that, I continue my journey. Swim class tonight. Time to go cool off in the Bay after a hot summer day.

Triathletes are nuts

Well, today ended up with a 1 hour session of hill repeats up Mt Soledad. My buddy Scott and I managed to make 3 separate accents of Mt Soledad from 3 different points. Ended up with 2000 ft of climbing in about 13 miles.

Then because I am nuts, I went to my open water swim class and joined up with the "advanced group" and swam like crazy for an hour in the bay. Advanced really meant that we weren't going to work on form or technique, we simply went out and did interval and speed training.

I have a feeling I am going to be VERY sore tomorrow.

Time left tonight to clean up my gear, shower and maybe a 30 min yoga session to stretch out and settle down for the night.

I'm beginning to think that triathletes are nuts. But the energy I feel after completing all that exercise is great. The people in the Tri Club are so positive and fun to be around.

Tomorrow is a run day. Haven't been running in a few weeks. It will be interesting to see how I feel on my run at lunch tomorrow.

Here is a link to the ride from today.

http://app.strava.com/rides/704304

Learning to Swim

Well, today is swim day. More specifically, Open water swim class night.

For me, like most of the people I talk to, the swim is the most difficult and often scary part of triathlon. I have to give the biggest props to the Tri Club and the Open water swim class headed by Bobbie at TCSD for getting me through the initial challenges of open water swimming.

My triathlon journey started out as a cyclist, who started to run at lunch, who then decided what they heck lets try all three! I could swim, I grew up in Southern CA spent the summers at the beach. I'm a certified scuba diver, but race swimming was a whole new adventure. Swimming with that many people around me all clawing for the same section of water is a whole new experience.

It is fun to look back on my progression in swimming. It started out with me going to the gym and jumping in the pool. After 1 lap 25M I was done. I was out of breath and wondering how the heck I was ever going to swim the 750M required for my first race. Like everything in this sport, I continued to work at it and got to the point that my stamina would allow me to swim that distance with a few rests along the way.

Then came the time to ratchet up the difficulty level. Swimming in a pool is easy. The water is clear and warm and there is a nice big black line on the bottom to follow. As mentioned above, I owe a huge thank you to the people at TCSD and the open water swim class. There is nothing like your first experience in the open water after all of the time put in the pool. First off, you have to figure out how to get into a triathlon wetsuit! As I mentioned before, I am a certified diver, wetsuits in CA are mandatory. However, that is a big dive suit, not a super light, thin, super tight, racing suit. Good thing I watched some good Youtube videos on how to get into a suit, or I never would have made it into my suit without ripping it to shreds.

Next comes the fact that the water is really cold, and you can't see a thing! I'm not over exaggerating here one bit. My first swim in the bay I swam head first into another swimmer. Somehow we didn't hit hands or arms first, we literally went forehead to forehead in the water. Ouch. This was all while I was trying to get used to the claustrophobic feeling again of being in a tight wetsuit, with goggles on in cold water. Something about that combo plays with your mind. When the face hits the cold water and is submerged, panic can set in.

To shorten the story a lot. The volunteers from TCSD are incredible. They took a bunch of us newbie swimmers and showed us the ways to swim in open water. They worked on our stroke, our body position in the water, our breathing, sighting the buoys, getting used to swimming with so many people around us, etc. Such a great group.

So the final step in my preparation was learning to swim/race in the ocean. Each new step in the process got me closer to my goal of racing, and each step ratcheted up the difficulty level quite a bit. Now add entering the course through the surf, learning to swim down under the waves in order to get to the calm water underneath the waves, then surfacing taking a few strokes, while setting up for the next wave. All while fighting the current that wants to pull me away from my target buoy. It was a lot of work, and a bit scary at first, but like anything you have to work hard to get through, I found it so rewarding. I now look forward to swimming in the ocean.

I have now gone from being really scared of the swim, to looking forward to it. Like most things in life, what you have to work hardest at, is what you appreciate the most. I really look forward to the swim now, Out of all the segments of the race, it is the one that I most want to share with people as it was the hardest for me to complete. It probably also goes along with the fact that so many people find it scary and intimidating, so to be able to do it, is just that much more of a reward.

Oh well, off to class to better improve my swim technique. Next race is on the calendar. July 24, Solana Beach!

Blog Post: Hire a Triathlete | Community | USA Triathlon

Blog Post: Hire a Triathlete | Community | USA Triathlon

TCSD - Triathlon Club San Diego

So after working out on my own for several months, it was time to take the next step and join the local triathlon club. I was a bit nervous joining up with TCSD, after all I had never raced a triathlon, I could still barely swim a few laps in the pool, and my running was still more of a chore than anything else. The only thing I really like was getting out on the bike and ridding. I had done a few Saturday rides with the San Diego Bicycle Club (SDBC) in their development groups. In these groups they take in inexperienced riders and teach them the basics of group riding, drafting, etc. It was a lot of fun, and my confidence grew as I moved up in the development groups. However, I was starting to see that I wanted to take my training in a different direction. The draw of triathlon was really starting to pull on me.

So I attended one of the TCSD beginner meetings. I was a bit nervous walking into the first meeting. So many fit people, many talking about the races they had competed in, and their getting ready for their next races. But I soon looked around and found a bunch of people just like me. Most of the newbies were people that liked one of the sports and for some crazy reason wanted to try out triathlon. There were former college swimmers, marathon runners, and a few cyclists. Interestingly, there were fewer cyclists, mostly swimmers and runners. Probably just the way it worked out for that meeting.

I have to say that joining the Triathlon Club of San Diego was the best move I could have made. What a great group of people! Triathletes are a different breed of people for sure, they love their sport, and love introducing new people to it and helping them develop in the sport. So I will pause to say.... if you are at all interested in triathlon and don't know where to start, seek out your local tri club. Now I can't speak of any other clubs and how they work, but TCSD is incredible! If you are in San Diego and thinking of getting into multisport, go to one of the beginner meetings and join up with some of the workouts. No attitude in these groups, just people having a good time doing what they love and a genuine desire to help others learn and get better. I recommend joining up right away, however the great thing about the club is that most of the group workouts are open, so you don't have to be a member to work out with them. Though I think once you attend a few club workouts you will join up.

In closing I will say, one of the things that I find most uplifting about the club is the overall positive attitude of the participants. It is really uplifting to be a round people that are positive and excited and appreciate life. Many times reading some of the posts in the club group remind me to take a moment and enjoy life for what it is.

Taking the next step

Hard to believe that the last post was in October. It is great to go back and read that post.

So much has happened, and I have learned so much since that last post and those first training sessions. Since October I joined the Triathlon Club of San Diego, completed one club race then went on to complete my first official Triathlon the Spring Sprint in Mission Bay, San Diego. Two weeks later I completed my second race, the Encinitas Sprint Triathlon, and a week and a half later completed my first club Aquathalon (1000 M ocean swim followed by a 5K run).

Maybe a little over zealous to get started, as I am now taking a bit of a break to let my body recover and get ready for the next challenge. However it is a great start, and one that I have gotten so much out of so far.

In the process I have learned a lot about myself, I gotten back in touch with how much I enjoy exercise and the positive feelings that come from it. I'm learning to better balance the demands of work, family, and training. Difficult to say the least, but rewarding on the occasions when I get it right. It is inspiring to see my young son take interest and copy daddy when it comes to the training. Soon enough he will be on a bike of his own. Who knows, maybe signing up for Ironkids Triathlon someday. I think I am getting a bit ahead of myself.

I think now is a good time to think back on what I have achieved so far, and then take a look to the next steps and goals.

So with that, I think I will take a break and create a few posts that go over some of the milestones leading up to today.