Lake Placid 2012 Race Report

Inspired as a spectator at the 2011 Ironman Lake Placid race, I signed up for 2012 with renewed excitement. Participating in the race would be its own reward. While I intended to give my best effort, I had also grown comfortable enough in my own skin that I wouldn’t hang any stupid competitive pressure on my shoulders. I simply wanted to walk away from the race knowing I gave it everything I had.

Mission accomplished.

My third Ironman finish was a charm, setting a new personal best time of 11:52:13 on a tough weather day. I was able to focus my thoughts like never before and apply lessons learned from my first two finishes and my painful 2008 DNF.

Here are a few reflections:

·         The swim and first 86 miles on the bike felt easy. The real work started at the turn around in Ausable Forks as we faced a strong headwind on the final 26 miles of climbing. The positive spirit among athletes pretty much dried up as we all started battling our inner demons.

·         I never felt “good” between mile 86 of the bike and mile 18 of the run. The crowds and my family and friends gave me energy, but I really hadn’t ever experienced such a long dark period. Somehow I was able to stay focused on the moment and respond to my immediate needs and surroundings.

·         Around mile 14 of the run my friend Ryan jogged beside me for a few strides. He was fired up, telling me how “rock solid” I looked and complimenting me on my bike ride. I wasn’t able to muster much of a response other than a puzzled look. Couldn’t he see my suffering?

·         I survived on Coke, chicken broth, and water on the second run loop. I think making that nutritional adjustment saved my day.

·         I started to feel better after the final turnaround on River Road, and knew by the 20-mile marker that I had a personal record in the bag. I decided not to push too hard from that point forward. Instead I soaked up the crowds and enjoyed being immersed in the Ironman experience. My final 10K was a victory dance.

·         There’s no experience like that Olympic speed skating oval finish. What a homecoming!

Beating my 2007 Lake Placid finish by a little over 13 minutes might not seem like a major accomplishment to the casual observer. But it was a proven difficult weather day compared to 2007. The scuttlebutt is that the average AG’er finished 29 minutes slower in 2012 than 2011.

Consider this; I improved my final position by 181 places compared to 2007 despite having 300 more athletes in the field in 2012. In 2007 I finished in the top 27% of the smaller starting field. This year I finished in the top 16%. I’m definitely getting closer to achieving my Ironman potential, but there’s still plenty of room for improvement.

I haven't made plans for races beyond this year, but the allure of pursuing excellence in this ultimate one-day event is undeniable. I simply love it.

How I Trained

I find that reflecting on all of my completed training is an effective method of dealing with race week jitters. Now, one week out from the big event, the jitters are creeping in. So today I read my training diary and took a few notes. Since the question most frequently asked of me is, “How do you train for that?” I thought I would share my summary here.

Winter: The dark months included a 16-week training block during which I focused almost all effort on cycling and running speed and power. This was a low volume, high intensity period. I averaged about seven hours of training each week. The 16-weeks were interrupted for two weeks by a nasty lower GI bug, so I didn’t come out of the winter as strong as I had hoped.
Transition: I dedicated the month of April to introducing some training volume to my cycling and running. I also began working out twice each week in the pool, focusing almost entirely on swimming form. My average training volume was 11-hours per week during this period.

Build Period: On April 30 I kicked off what most would consider the real Ironman training cycle, the gradual build-up of volume with a focus on break-through workouts of increasing difficulty. This period lasted nine weeks and my average training volume was slightly more than 13-hours per week.

After hearing of 20- and 30-hour weeks from other Ironman athletes, some are surprised at the relatively low training volume of my build period. While it’s pretty cool to tell tales of 20+ hour training weeks, my experience is that they leave me too tired to function as a husband, father, and employee. My primary goal is to enjoy the challenge of the endurance multisport lifestyle, not to qualify for the World Championships in Kona. So my training focus is on maintaining consistency, showing up ready to crush my key workouts, and then allowing myself to recover properly. That said I had very few "base miles" style workouts. Almost every session had some form of speed interval thrown in there. I think it all worked out pretty well this time around.

During the build period my average weekly volume broke down into 6,500 meters of swimming, 130 miles in the saddle and 23 miles of running. My peak swimming week was slightly more than 10 kilometers, my peak cycling week was 205 miles, and my peak running week was 39 miles. That contrasts pretty sharply with my previous training, which was cycling dominant. For instance I rode 380 miles during a 26-hour training week in 2007, but my peak running week didn’t quite make it to 30-miles. More balance – perspective – sanity this year!

After the nine week build I entered a two-week peaking cycle followed by my pending one-week taper. The peak cycle had me gradually reducing volume while maintaining intensity. The goals of the two-week peak are to gradually eliminate residual fatigue and focus on race-specific training. Feeling sharp after the peak period, I think the real goal of the taper is to rest and avoid gaining weight. My longest workout between now and race day will be about 45-minutes.

OK, that was a good exercise and has me feeling pretty confident. Now to avoid gaining weight…

2012 Fund Racing for Bridge of Hope LCC

I am fascinated by energy—where it comes from and how it powers life. By day I’m overseeing an amazing team of engineers explore building energy systems, making them work most efficiently. Outside the office, I’m leveraging my physical energy and testing my own personal limits of endurance as I train for my third Ironman triathlon.

To bring a deeper meaning to my triathlon training, I’m racing for a cause—to raise $10,000 for Bridge of Hope Lancaster and Chester Counties. BOHLCC is unlike any charitable organization I’ve ever volunteered with. They are 100% privately funded with a greater than 80% success rate. Their mission is simple: from homelessness to wholeness.

Providing a professional staff and trained mentoring teams from churches, BOHLCC helps women attain long-term housing, financial independence, and holistic growth. Greater community support means more women and children move from homelessness to stability.

Although an Ironman can be considered a selfish undertaking, the reality is that I can’t reach my goal without the emotional and financial support of my friends and my company. McClure Company’s President, Chip Brown, has an employee expectation that ranks up there with safety first. He expects us to live “robust lives.”  Chronic overtime or lives brightened only by fluorescent lighting are not part of the fabric at McClure.

This supportive framework allows me to invest time and attention into my training, but it also allows me to “pay it forward” and invest in others, like the families in transition at BOHLCC. The women in the BOHLCC program push their limits much the same as I do for Ironman training. But the endurance required by these women and families makes an Ironman seem easy.

McClure’s commitment to living “robust lives” has spawned hundreds of sponsorships and community investments in support of our 300+ employees. The ripple effect is visible in the lives of young women and children, once homeless in Lancaster and Chester counties, now with homes and the tools to start a new race that is productive and sustainable. That’s energy well spent.

I’ll close with my top 10 reasons for believing in the Bridge of Hope Lancaster & Chester Counties:    

10.       Staff to volunteer ratio is 1:78

9.       Greater than an 80% success rate

8.       100% privately funded. Zero government money

7.       Not a stop-gap measure or short term solution

6.       Fulfills a deep need in our society

5.       Program to administrative cost ratio is 80:20

4.       Stated operating principles are honesty and integrity

3.       Board members are expected to work. This isn’t a resume building exercise.

2.   Mission is simple, but not easy: From Homelessness to Wholeness

1.  It simply works. I’ve seen it firsthand… twice.

American Triple T Race Report

Two weeks ago I checked an endurance event off of my bucket list: The American Triple T. For those who don’t know the format, there are 4 triathlons in 3 days:

• Friday prologue: 5:00 pm “super sprint” 250m swim, 6k bike, 1 mile run
• Saturday: 7:30 am Olympic distance tri & another Olympic distance race at 3:00 pm with the event order as bike-swim-run
• Sunday: 7:00 am half Ironman distance triathlon
• Total distances: 5,250m swim, 110 miles cycling, 27.2 miles running

All events have time trial starts, with participants starting in pairs every 3 seconds. The races all took place from the same transition area in the Shawnee State Forest in southern Ohio: Plenty of hills. You might even call them mountains (the Little Smokies).

My goal was to treat it as a training event, trying to build mental & physical strength for Ironman Lake Placid. I wanted to dial in my target Ironman paces and not race so hard that I couldn’t recover quickly for nine more weeks of training. I wanted to run the half marathon on Sunday in less than 2 hours. I figured that few would be able to do that and, if I could pull it off, it would be a good sign that I have proper paces dialed in.

As you might imagine the event was very tough. The cycling courses were all challenging, with more than 9,000 feet of climbing and some technical descents. The same run course was used for every race. It consisted mostly of hilly fire roads with broken rocks and dirt footing. Just like an Ironman, there were plenty of athletes walking the last several miles of the final race. I was able to maintain consistent pacing in all three sports throughout the weekend. I came within a few seconds of negative splitting the final 13.1 mile run [beat my time goal by 7 minutes!]. My nutrition plan was solid and, overall, I think I’m in good physical and mental shape with only seven weeks to go until Ironman. My total time to complete the event was 12:13:32.

The most difficult aspect to the weekend (other than driving home!) was staying hydrated and maintaining proper electrolyte levels. I got a little spacy after the second Saturday race and really had to focus on getting rehydrated and replenishing electrolytes. Everyone’s motivation to race was pretty low by Sunday morning! I particularly enjoyed the old school feel of the event: Very little commercialism, a small field (432 registrants, less than 400 finishers), and excellent race organization. If you’re into the long course triathlon scene, this is a must do event.

My Triple T week was a big one – 10 km of swimming, 130+ miles in the saddle, and 37+ miles of running. I’ve never worked that much running into an Ironman training week, and my feet let me know it. After a full week of recovery, during which I cut training volume in half and took two days completely off, this week was rock solid. I’m feeling very well again.

Lancaster Nightmare Ride: Race Report

The field launched at 6:13 am, the official sunrise for Saturday, August 13. My friend Shane and I were in good spirits, unsure of how our bodies would respond to riding 177 miles. Neither of us had ever attempted to ride more than 125 miles in the past. Our goal was simply to enjoy the day and finish in daylight.

I knew the first and last fifty-ish miles of the course, but had no idea what the middle piece was like. That was probably a good thing because it kept me from tossing and turning in bed in the days leading up to the event.

It was an amazing day and I have nothing but positive thoughts about the whole experience. There’s just so much to say! I’ll summarize with a few random notes:

• We missed a turn at mile 85 and tacked on 3 hilly miles before getting back on course.
• Just after I said, “The weather gods are smiling on us today,” a major thunderstorm struck. That was around mile 125. We rode through driving rain, floods, lightning, farm erosion, etc. Good times. It was a good thing. It woke us up and we had fun with it.
• We stopped too long for lunch [112 miles] and my legs revolted a little when we started riding again.
• Shane and I were strong and spent time socializing with other cyclists. That got under the skin of some of the competitive folks. Sorry guys!
• The course included some recently tarred and chipped roads (including the hardest climb all day) and a rutted, dirt / gravel road. We probably rode 3 to 4 miles on unpaved surfaces.
• I felt good watts in my legs the entire day. We covered the final 35 miles in less than two hours. I guess our self-made training plans worked out just fine.

Overall elapsed time for our ride was 12:45. We rolled through the finish line in Marietta at 6:58 pm. Of that time we were in the saddle for almost exactly 12-hours even, covering 180 total miles at a 15 mph average. The course was tough!

I’m so thankful for good health, no accidents, and no mechanical incidents. Shane was the perfect riding mate in that we have similar cycling fitness and life perspectives. I’m glad he asked me to participate. I would not want to ride that course alone!

Eve of the Nightmare

It looks like some stormy weather for the Lancaster Nightmare Ride tomorrow. My friend Shane and I will be launching from the Donegal Middle School at 6:00 am. How long will the 177 miles take us? I really don’t know.

I rode fairly steadily on a reconnaissance ride through the first 50 miles of the course several weeks ago and still only averaged a measly 14 miles per hour. The early terrain is very difficult and a key to not imploding later in the day will be to hold back as much as possible in the hilly first 50. I’ve never gone over 125 miles, either, so who knows what’ll happen when I get 8+ hours into the day? My longest ride so far this year was slightly over 7 hours. It should be interesting. I’m pushing into new and unknown territory.

That said we fully intend on finishing in daylight.

I finally read Chris McDougall’s ‘Born to Run’ this week while at the beach. I can’t think of a better book to read in the days leading up to an ultra endurance event. Like the ultra runners in that book, I intend to enjoy the ride tomorrow: one mile at a time.

I will be extending the Bridge of Hope campaign until at least the end of August. Thanks to all at McClure Company for pledging support! I’ll be opening pledging opportunities to a broader group this weekend. My recent vacationing and subsequent impacts on work load have prevented a more thorough pre-event campaign. Stay tuned!

Ironman Lake Placid 2011

Had a great time supporting friends at Ironman Lake Placid last weekend. With four friends signing up for next year's race, I couldn't resist the Ironman fever. I signed up for the 2012 race as soon as I got home!

Riding for Hope: I Can Suffer for a Day

Shane’s e-mail popped up with the subject line “Nightmare Ride 2011.” I rolled my eyes and filed it for reading when I wasn’t so busy. I knew what was coming. He had mentioned making an attempt at finishing the ultra cycling event in the past, and his message was surely a request to sign on with him.

The 177 mile single day ride around the perimeter of Lancaster County is notoriously difficult. It’s one of those “bucket list” events – you know, the kind of event you say you want to do but seem to find plenty of convenient excuses for continually avoiding.

What I also knew, that Shane didn’t, was that the Bridge of Hope Lancaster & Chester Counties is pre-registered with the Nightmare’s event organizer as a race charity. Finding myself on BOH LCC’s board of directors, the choice wasn’t really mine to make, after all. Given an invitation to ride, I had an obligation to get on with it. My race plan for 2011 became a little clearer.

Reflecting on the daily struggles of the families served by Bridge of Hope, and my own relatively charmed existence, I thought to myself “I can suffer for a day.” That will be my mantra.

The event takes place on August 13. You can find my fundraising page by clicking DONATE TO BRIDGE OF HOPE under "My Favorites" in the right hand margin. Stay tuned for training updates!

Post Race Random Musings

For what it's worth, the red squiggly line is my heart rate during the Ironman Louisville bike ride. The spikes and few prolonged higher peaks are episodes of atrial fibrillation. I haven't had so much as a flutter since that ride ended. It's a pretty mysterious condition in that respect - you never know when it'll get triggered. It usually takes two or more triggers to make it happen (adrenaline + too much caffeine, hard exercise + allergy symptoms + dehydration, etc). But sometimes I can be subject to many of the triggers and it never appears. So it goes.

The did not finish (DNF) rate at Louisville was about 16%. For those outside the multisport community, that's a HUGE number.

I had some trouble acclimating to normal life this week. The office environment is a strange contrast to the triathlon-frenzied four square block area of Louisville from where I just returned. I wouldn't say that I have post race depression, but I'm definitely still trying to process what I've been through over the past week(s).

I don't have a plan, yet, for what's happening this fall. That's a dangerous place to be. I'll definitely keep riding but I need to set a goal. I want to do some form of non-tri group exercise; Leaning toward yoga but haven't researched class availability yet. Taking care of deferred maintenance on my house is a given. Pouring myself into my work is also a given. October is strategic planning month. I also signed up for an evening class at church. I suppose these will all keep me busy enough.

Football season kicks off this weekend as well. Kyle plays Sunday. I'm looking forward to doing a little spectating from the sidelines...

Ironman Louisville 2010 Race Report

I decided to post an unabridged race report for a couple of reasons; (1) For my own reflection, so that when the memories of the mental & physical trials of race day begin to fade I might have something of a stick to keep me honest, and (2) As a resource for other athletes living with atrial fibrillation. Such testimonials can be difficult to find.

***

Pre-Race
Race day started with a 3:30 am wake-up call. I drank water and a cup of coffee while applying a layer of sun block and body glide. Breakfast consisted of 1-1/2 Odwalla Protein Monster shakes and a banana. My buddy Ryan and I made our way to transition by 5 am. We dropped off our special needs bags, checked over / stocked our bikes and headed to get in line at the swim start.

We were amazed at the length of the swim line. If transition opened at 5 am, how was it possible for us to be so far toward the back of the line? We heard while waiting that many athletes staged family members in line through the night. Lesson learned. We hit the ground and relaxed in the pre-race darkness.

Swim
The pro race gun sounded at 6:50 am. I popped an energy gel and chased it with some water. The line moved quickly after the age group race start of 7:00 am. Filing down to the boat docks and crossing the starting mat was a unique way to start the day’s adventure. I jumped in the water at about 7:25 am.

I didn’t feel particularly smooth during the swim. I could sense my feet dragging a bit low and tried to focus on body position. Starting so far back there wasn’t much smooth water; Still a lot of swimmers out there. I generally maintained a three stroke count and thought of it as a slow waltz, 1 – 2 – 3 – breathe – 1 – 2 – 3 – breathe, etc. I’d sight on each 3rd or 6th stroke depending on the confidence of my line. The final 400 meters was pretty congested as swimmers started pinching together. Somebody knocked my left calf pretty hard about 200 meters from the finish and I got a Charlie horse. I guess I wasn’t as relaxed as I had wanted! I was obliged to stop and resolve that problem. My official swim time was 1:16:00. A little disappointing given my goal of 1:05:00, but not a heart breaker either (I suppose pool time trials with flip turns weren’t a great testing protocol). The day was young.

T1
T1 took over 8 minutes primarily because I took a long potty break. I was plenty well hydrated early in the day. The spectators lining transition were numerous and loud. I had forgotten how exciting it is to participate in an Ironman.

Bike
I knew from my race rehearsals that the key to a strong, appropriately paced bike was to ride exceptionally easy during the first couple of hours. My brain was programmed to let the hammerheads go during the early climbs on SR42 and the out and back sections. My power targets were 177 watts overall with a first hour target of 168 watts. Having occasional atrial fibrillation and asthma it was also essential for me to closely monitor heart rate, particularly on a hot day.

I repeated the word “cheesy” as I tried to settle my heart rate on the River Road flats out of Louisville. Despite holding a low power output I had my first flare up 10 minutes into the ride. I felt the tell tale “can of worms” feeling in my chest and looked down to see a heart rate of 190+BPM. It was a brief episode. It was followed by a similar occurrence at about the 30 minute mark. At 40 minutes I had five short episodes in quick succession. I adjusted by simply keeping my watts low and focusing on my breathing. On the out and back section I pedaled over the tops of hills and then coasted down in an effort to suppress heart rate. It generally worked. As I left the out and back behind I felt reasonably confident that I had squelched major afib issues and was heading for a strong ride. By the 30 mile mark I managed an 18.4 mph average on only 140 average watts (150 normalized).

Unfortunately the combination of race day nerves and heat proved more than I could prepare for in training. The episodes of rapid heart beat became more frequent and lasted longer, so I stayed at the low watts and focused on hydration and staying as cool as possible. When my heart would reset from afib into a normal rhythm it would settle into an expected rate. My breathing and perceived exertion felt fine the entire time.

The mental game was tough. Overall I was able to detach and remain fairly unemotional about the situation. I determined to “stand down” at special needs (mile 65). I dismounted, waited in line at a porta-potty and locked myself in there for a couple of minutes to do my business out of the sunlight. I downed a water bottle, poured more over my head, popped a couple of Endurolytes, and recalibrated my power meter. Six minutes later I was back on my bike with a low heart rate and feeling quite refreshed. I was going to finish this race!

A mere 15 minutes later my heart was up to its old tricks with several short but frequent flare ups – a 15 minute episode in total. Fifteen’s were wild as I was able to get it settled for another 15 minutes of consistent riding. At the 80 mile mark it shot up again and generally stayed there until the SR42 descent to the flats at mile 100. My goal at that point was simply to get back to Louisville and assess my condition for continuing in T2.

Thankfully the descent got my heart settled down for good. I pedaled consistently into T2 with a bike clock time of 6:03:54 and a saddle time of 5:57:xx. My goal time for the bike was 5:59:xx so, needless to say, I was pleasantly surprised with my time given the struggle. I was relieved to reach T2.

Even with my issues and long special needs stand down I was able to negative split that ride from hell. Eliminating the rapid heart rate from my profile it’s clear that I had no cardiac drift, as my normal rate was actually slightly lower at the end of the ride than the beginning.

For power junkies I finished with an IF of slightly less than 0.59 and a LOW TSS of 208. Considering my heart issues, the amount of blocking happening on the downhill sections, and the constant shifting required of this course, I am really pleased with a VI of 1.07. My smoothed out power profile is almost dead flat, with the strongest hour from 4:22 to 5:22. I don’t think I could’ve executed any better given the weather and my physical condition.

My nutrition consisted of 1375 Calories of Infinit, one bottle of Powerbar Perform, one Clif Bar (250 Calories), six Endurolyte tabs, two FRS chews (to help me focus late), and as much water as I could possibly consume without bloating.

T2
I found a seat in the men’s changing tent and deliberately slipped into my running shoes and tri top. Not wanting the pasty sun block they provided outside the tent, I coated my shoulders, face, arms, and neck with my own SPF50. After two preventive puffs on my asthma inhaler I pulled out the water bottle tucked into my cycling jersey and took a long draw of what remained. Then I retreated into a proverbial monk’s closet by burying my face into my hands. Time for a few deep breaths and a prayer.

Run
Next up, a marathon in 90+ degree sunny weather. I decided to “run” based on heart rate instead of pace. If it reached 160+ BPM I would slow to a walk until it dropped to 150 or below. I would walk the aid stations (spaced approximately one mile apart from each other) and run in between.

It’s just amazing how strong you can feel early on an Ironman run. My target pace for ideal conditions was 9:15/mile for the first six, then 8:45/mile if I could bear it afterward. Mile #1 was 9:15 on the button. Just like Lake Placid in 2007, where I was able to put together a 4:02:59 marathon, my heart rate was occasionally creeping up to the 160 mark. So it went. Jog for a few minutes, hear my monitor start beeping, then walk for a bit. Jog, beep, walk, jog, beep, walk, etc. Continual forward motion!

I alternated nutrition at the aid stations; water + ice at one, then sports drink + ice at the next. I carried Endurolyte tabs and took them at 45 minute intervals. I pushed as much water as I felt I could take. My stomach got pretty sloshy a couple of times.

My pace gradually deteriorated, which wasn’t a surprise in this heat. It rose to a 10+ minute/mile average, then 11+. My walk breaks got longer. As cheesy as it sounds, I found strength in saying “Pain is temporary, quitting lasts forever.” I also kept telling myself this was only one day… Give me one day! Both were easily recite-able and rang true. The crowds in town gave me strength as I was able to temporarily lift my pace a bit as I headed out on lap#2. Incredibly, my atrial fibrillation issues were gone.

I don’t remember much between leaving downtown on lap #2 and mile 18. I do remember becoming short of breath and needing a hit from my rescue inhaler.

Patrick McCrann was waiting at mile 18 and my memory picks back up from there. He told me I looked strong. I told him about my heart struggles. I had trouble putting it behind me. He encouraged me to keep pushing.

I was dizzy and pretty nauseated. My throat was constricting. I could tell my core temperature was soaring. I reduced my pace to a steady walk. I walked for what felt like an eternity trying to find some strength. I pushed water, ice, and chicken broth. I tried a few test jogs but just couldn’t pick up the pace without feeling like I’d drop.

Around mile 22 I remember thinking about my 12 year old son’s recent issues with asthma and an irregular heart beat. “Damn these genes!” crossed my mind. Soon afterward the athlete with one prosthetic leg approached in the other direction. Inspired I held out my hand. Our palms met and he gave me a strong look in the eyes... and suddenly my issues felt insignificant.

At mile 23 I mustered the strength to jog again. I jogged with a couple of other athletes who were obviously deep into their own private zones. No words were spoken. We just gained strength by being together.

Prior to reaching the center of town I decided to take one last, short aid station walk before attempting to push it to the end. I gained strength by hearing the festivities ahead and was able to run well to the finish. I slowed near the finish line to allow the elated athletes in front of me have their private finish line moments, and then I passed through to have my own. The 4th Street Live finish line was absolutely electric! Though so very far from how I hoped the day would unfold, I certainly feel satisfied with my effort. And that’s all that really matters, right? :)

Brief Reflections
How is it possible that my last mile was the strongest of the day? Did my mind always have the strength to overcome my physical issues, or did my walking and recuperating allow that final mile to happen? Did my early afib issues take too costly a mental and physical toll or was my recovery as complete as it seemed?

I don’t know the answers to those questions. But I do know that I won’t be competing in any more Ironman races until I have a successful pulmonary vein ablation procedure on my heart. I can’t continue to play both sides of that fence. This was the only way to get a crystal clear answer to that question.

I need to bring this report to a close, but I want to relate that I drew inspiration through observing the strong performances of my training pal Ryan Brubaker, several of my Endurance Nation team mates and how Coach P conducted himself race week / day. There are simply too many stories to tell. I tip my cap in admiration to all who were able to thrive during that hot marathon.

7, 6, 5 days...

...And the self doubt rears its ugly head. Trying hard to stay on an emotional even keel. I keep repeating:

+ I am strong.
+ I will thrive in the heat.
+ I will look, act, execute like a champion.

The Hay is in the Barn

We’re getting so close to race day. Tapering is difficult. Training and eating patterns change. I actually feel a little lethargic. Aches and pains start appearing as the body says, “Thanks for the rest… I think I’ll take this opportunity to heal!”

On Sunday I burned some nervous energy by competing in the Lums Pond (Delaware) sprint triathlon. In many respects it was a break through experience. My first sprint triathlon since 2005 and the first one I can remember not being passed by anyone on the bike. I followed a 23.5 mph, 19.5 mile ride with a 3 mile run in 18:36. Big time numbers for me. I finished 24th out of 408 in a very competitive field. Not bad considering that my transitions were excessively slow compared to the fast guys.

So my training is done. The hay is in the barn, as the saying goes.

If you have any inclination to give to my cause – Bridge of Hope of Lancaster & Chester Counties – please give now by clicking on the ”Donate to Bridge of Hope” button to the right. They could use more hay in their barn. And the more hay I raise, the more matching funds Janus will kick into their coffers.

Thanks so much to all who have donated. We’re currently just shy of $3,000. :)

Race Rehearsal Redux

Had my final epic workout of the training cycle yesterday, with a six hour bike ride followed by a one hour run. The goal of the workout is to do everything exactly as you plan to do on race day; sleep, eat, dress, pace, etc.

Overall I had a very good day. I rode 114 miles in 6:04 then hopped off the bike and trotted 10k at a 9:00/mile pace. At 123 BPM average on the bike, my heart rate indicated that my aerobic fitness is as good or better than it’s ever been. It was the “easiest” 100+ mile ride I’ve ever done (Oxymoron, I know. That's how warped my mind has become). Given that I averaged a shade under 19 miles per hour, I’m very pleased with my fitness.

The most frequently asked question I get is, “What do you eat?” Here’s how my day played out:

Breakfast at 4:30 am (roughly 550 Calories)
• Odwalla super protein shake
• Banana
• 20 oz. water
• 12 oz. Coffee
Pre-ride at 7:00 am (110 Calories)
• Power gel with water
During the ride (1775 Calories = 296/hour)
• 10 scoops Infinit Ironman formula sports drink
• 1 Clif bar
• 1 Power gel
• 2 x FRS chews at mile 70
• 8 x 20 oz. Bottles of water
During the run
• 1 scoop Infinit marathon formula sports drink (130 Calories)

Most are surprised at the low Calorie count, but it’s important to keep from overloading your digestive tract. My goal is 300 Cal/hour on the bike and 150 - 175/hour on the run. Your blood is needed in places other than your stomach! Besides, it’s impossible to replace all of the Calories as you’re burning them anyway. I burned in excess of 4,000 Calories yesterday.

Where my nutrition plan fell short is in sodium replacement. That was made clear by how “crampy” my legs got last evening. On the bike I consumed 388 mg sodium/hour. On the run I was only at 175 mg/hour. I should be over 400 mg per hour all day, with a little more on the run since my sweat rate will be higher. I’ll supplement with electrolyte pills such as Hammer Endurolytes.

Recovery Shakes

Here's my top secret bestest long workout recovery shake ever. We found this in Cooking Light magazine. My edits from the recipe are noted. Blend the following:

One cup of Chobani Greek yogurt
Banana
Skim milk (I add by feel)
Ice
Honey
Ground nutmeg
Teaspoon of Glutamine powder (only for extreme workout recovery)

Chobani yogurt is really good stuff, with 23g of whey protein per 8 oz. No added sugar and zero fat.

You can also make a sweeter, heavier version of the shake as follows:

One cup of Chobani Greek yogurt
Frozen mango
Frozen peaches
Peach/mango V8 Splash (I add by feel)
Teaspoon of Glutamine (for extreme workout recovery)

I prefer the lighter, less sweet banana shake after a long bike ride, but they're both great. Enjoy!

You Are What You Eat

Nothing reinforces the adage “you are what you eat” better than high volume training. I feel exactly as I eat and sleep. Eat well, sleep well = High energy, positive outlook, ability to recover from the hardest workouts. Eat garbage or deprive myself of sleep = Ugliness. It’s really that simple. Good diet choices get more challenging when you’re hungry all the time. Eating a healthy, balanced diet while enduring heavy training takes planning and discipline. The office, with the vending machine from hell, is my biggest challenge.

Fund Racing for Bridge of Hope

On August 29, I will be competing in the Ford Ironman triathlon in Louisville,Kentucky, and I need your help.

The road to completing an Ironman can be overwhelming, exhilarating, and immensely personally satisfying—all at the same time. But my deepest desire in this race is to really make a difference in our community by again raising money to benefit Bridge of Hope Lancaster & Chester Counties.

Please consider a personal or company donation to help me reach my goal of raising $5,000.

As I train to cross the finish line in Kentucky, my “personal best” will be to help Bridge of Hope reach as many single mothers and their children with the opportunity to achieve wholeness and independence.

Bridge of Hope served 38 women and 77 children this year with life-changing skills to end homelessness for single mothers and their families. These families now have a second chance.

Why should you care? The daily challenges these women face remind me of my own journey to the Ironman finish line. Their Ironman consists of roadblocks to employment, a paralyzing fear of failure, the physical demands of being a single parent, and staying on track with financial pacing. The need for stamina, tenacity, and determination to go one more step is crucial. But where do these resources come from? Having the support of mentoring friendships while working with program staff allows the women to be successful and cross the finish line to self-sufficiency and financial stability. That makes a stronger community for all of us.

With no government funding, Bridge of Hope has attained a remarkable success rate of more than 80% of its participants graduating to self-sufficiency. They rely solely on private donations.

How can you help me “race” to make a difference?

1. On the web, go to my triathlon training blog (http://dan-kerr.blogspot.com/) and click on the Donate to Bridge of Hope link in the right margin under “My Favorites.”

2. Please send a check made payable to Bridge of Hope Lancaster & Chester Counties and send it to me at: c/o McClure Company, 4101 N 6th Street, Harrisburg, PA 17110

Individuals contributing $100 or more will be entered to win a free home chef service from Custom Cuisine Personal Chef Service (approximate $300 value).

Thank you for your support!


P.S. To learn more about Bridge of Hope Lancaster & Chester Counties and read some of their stories, please visit www.bridgeofhopelcc.org. Bridge of Hope Lancaster & Chester Counties is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization – donations are tax-deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law.

It's the Heat... and the Humidity

Two hour and twenty minute run on the schedule today. I headed out at 10 am in an attempt to get used to the heat. When I finished, the sun was shining, the temperature was 89F and the heat index was 92F. How'd it go? Let's just say my breakfast of birthday cake, coffee, and a Mexican omelette wasn't such a great idea. What was I thinking?

Down Time Thoughts

I just can't motivate myself to get in the saddle during this Saturday morning downpour. I really don't want to put the wear and tear on my high end tri bike, and my road bike isn't equipped with a power meter. With five weeks of hard training to go I really shouldn't be skipping workouts. I'll wait this thing out and make a determination this afternoon. I might end up on the trainer today.

I've been spending the morning watching YouTube videos of the Ironman Louisville course. I think I'll love that bike ride. It consists of a ton of rolling hills, but far easier climbs than what I'm accustomed to in Lancaster County. The key will be maintaining momentum on the downhills, "flattening" the course by maintaining consistent power output. I'll be ready.

My metabolism is going crazy with the uptick in training. I've managed to drop two pounds in the past 10 days or so. I'll likely level off at my current weight of 151 pounds. I plan to show up on race day at a lean 149. Anything less will be unhealthy. My normal weight is between 155 and 157.

I'm a little concerned about my sore left shoulder. It started to get sore during our (training with my buddy Ryan) epic 4,100 meter swim yesterday. I'm going to schedule a massage for the coming week.

My kids dread the Tour de France because I actually compete for TV time. Those guys are so smooth and powerful. Really good mental training for a visual learner like me. Think I'll tune in now while the boys are still asleep...

Big Volume Week 2010

At the suggestion of the coaches of team EN I made use of the long July 4 weekend to gain a volume “pop” in my training. It was a big week by my standards, at 25 hours total training. I spent 21 of those hours in the saddle. Compare this to my consistent weeks of 12 to 14 hours. Some random thoughts:

• With a dramatic increase in cycling volume I have some issues adapting to life off the bike. Yesterday on a family drive to Hershey Park I caught myself shouting out “car left!” I also keep having dreams of dozing off while in the saddle, startling myself awake.
• Due to my occasional episodes with atrial fibrillation I’ve been afraid of using caffeine or other stimulants as performance supplements. Conversely I’ve been bothered by a tendency to lose mental focus around mile 75 of long bike rides. This weekend I used FRS chews at around the four hour mark. I’m sold. I’ve never been so focused deep into a long ride.
• I fear the heat. I drank eight 20-ounce bottles of fluid today and still didn’t have to pee until I got home. That’s insane. I better plan on two bottles an hour in Louisville. I decided to bag my brick run today out of cautiousness. My power meter read 102 degrees at the end of the ride.
• My tolerance for training load like this has increased dramatically since Ironman #1 in 2007. I suppose it’s due in equal measures to a stronger will to endure the pain and an increase in fitness.
• Bullfrog SPF40 sun block is the best I’ve ever used. The sun and heat were powerful this weekend. I have absolutely zero burn. Considering the amount I sweat and how long I was in the saddle, that’s pretty amazing.

I should be ready to resume training as normal by Thursday. Until then it’ll be a combination of complete rest and recovery workouts.

Training Update

I escaped this little accident on Father's Day weekend with cuts, bruises and road rash. Very, very lucky. The elbow and knee are still a little sore but otherwise I'm good to go.

I'm making use of the long July 4 weekend for a big volume training block. In two days I've ridden 176 miles and ran 3.5 miles. Gearing up for another ride today. More details later.

Please take note of the new "Favorites" link to the right. As in 2007, I'm using my Ironman training to raise money for the Bridge of Hope www.bridgeofhopelcc.org. More on that later, too!

Too shelled to put much mental energy into blogging today...