CPPSS Mantra

Cool, Powerful, Prepared, Smart, and Smooth!

Cool, Powerful, Prepared, Smart, and Smooth!

...

Luck

"The harder I work the luckier I get" - Renzo

A step closer

Every failure is a step closer to success

Without prejudice

See without prejudice. Absorb and process. Act with understanding.

Let it go

Learn and let it go

SC 70.3 Race report

Felt like perfect fueling

Dinner Pizza and Steak 13hr before race

Ate more than normal for SC and VM and I think it helped

Minimized fiber day before

Bfast

Banana

2 lg Starbuck double shots (3hr before, 1.5 hr before)

1 Ucan 1 hr before

1 Biestmilch tab 45min before

Bike

2 Bottles Coke, 1/2 bottle water

1/2 gel every 20-30 min (3-4 total)

Run 1 bottle coke

The Race

Swim 32:xx

Goggles lens popped out in warmup

Thats why I carry 2 to the start line

Choppy conditions and below avg swim.  Others seemed to have similarly slower times compared to prior races

Bike 2:26:xx

NP 266 IF 0.8

Given my current fitness this was the goal and best case scenario so thumbs up!

Mechanical chain stuck under chain catcher.  Nightmare!!!!  Not sure how I managed to do this but feel lucky I got it out. Cost me a few minutes right out of T1.  Stuck with it and focused on power.

Need to get mechanics dialed in

Need to work on fit

Run

1:27:xx

6:52 avg pace very even split

Felt really good off the bike.  Maybe it's the Dimond. I maxed out the drop of my TT bars as well.

5th AG Going to Australia 2016!!!!

IMCdA aquabike. Report is longer than my race.

My A race going into the season was IMTX however after a cold-induced fatigue funk and poor Oceanside showing, I decided IMCdA would allow me more time to prepare. I don't regret that decision one bit.

My preparation for IMCdA was by far the best I have ever had going into an Ironman. Kevin, you work magic! Bike power was solid and I logged over a dozen 2hr runs. Swim was in maintenance mode but I wasn't looking to win the swim. My goal was to have a solid smart race and I truly believe if I was able to do that a Kona spot would be in reach. I have been within 90 seconds of that golden ticket and going into this race I felt prepared to take it to the next level.

Race week

On Friday I started to get total body muscle cramps. That night I was breaking out in cold sweats. I tried to keep the positive MOJO flowing so chalked it up to caffeine withdrawal. The night before the race I was up with a dry cough that I convinced myself was dry air or allergies.

Swim 60:xx

This was the best part of the day. My buddy and teammate, Andrew, and I started together and came out of lap 1 side by side. Felt like team ITU racing. Fist bump and we were back at it for lap 2!

This is where my day started to unravel. Cough came back with a vengeance. I was having trouble keeping my breathing consistent and then came a wicked headache.

Bike

Immediately my power was down. Felt like a struggle to push my goal power. I kept telling myself that it would come because I've had similar feelings in the past and after a bit my power would be up. I dialed it back slightly and stuck with my hydration and nutrition plan. Things seemed to be on the up when the gradual climbs felt ok. I was staying hydrated and had a good pee. Around mile 45 stomach cramping started then up it all came. Vomited breakfast (eaten 3.5 hrs before race start) and 2 bottles of coke all over my right leg and right arm. M2 rinses off well BTW. Trying to give my stomach a rest I got out of aero and didn't take in anything for about 30 mins. Still cramping I needed to get something in or I would be done regardless so I tried water. Up it came. A gel, up it came. More time then tried again. Same results. My friend and coach, Kevin, passed around mile 60 and despite his encouragement I had nothing left. My stomach shut down, my legs felt like jello, and my entire body felt achy. I entertained the thought of lying on the side of the road to rest and then try again, but it didn't seem worth the risk. So, I decided to head for the hotel, feeling defeated and shameful.

Right around this time I saw Andrew riding on the run course and I rode on over (yes this is how we got 4min/mile run splits). He had crashed and had abrasions all over him and a busted up bike. I felt broken and the sight of Andrew literally broken made me want to tear up (which I actually did when I found out Kevin had to pull out too).

Keeping perspective can be hard when so much is dedicated to a single day, aiming for one shot at perfection. It turns that I was sick with a virus from before the start of the race. It's been a week of fevers, night sweats, coughing and green phlegm. I'm just now getting over this. It wasn't the heat or race nutrition related stomach issues. My immune system was very likely compromised from a combination of any or all of these factors: dropping too much weight too fast, excessive heat training, sick exposures at work and working night shifts. Wouldn't have started if I was feverish on race morning. I feel fortunate I was able to toe in at all.

Thanks for all the love and support! I'm grinding my teeth thinking of my next plan of attack!

Best,

Jan

Oceanside Race Report 2015

Goals

#1 Have fun.

Check! Had a blast racing with old and new friends!  

#2 Have a well paced run.

Not even close.  Cramp city

Swim 29:28

Started off steady, not hard, and got into a groove. At the turnaround ran into a bottle neck of previous waves which turned the swim into a slalom. Sun on the way back also made sighting tricky. My swim yards are down this year, YTD averaging 8500 yards/week, so happy with an easy sub 30.  

T1  4:08 (lost about a min on my closest competitors)

LG suit sleeves tough to put on when wet which is where I likely lost my time.   Noticed lots of triforce guys swimming with octane sleeves up. Will try sleeves on for the swim.

Bike 2:28:xx

Started off super easy to bring hr down.

Around mile 4 things got interesting. Massive bump launched all 3 of my bike bottles (2 UCAN, 1 Water) in what seemed like slow motion. I didn't hear any crashes behind me but I sure hope I didn't hurt anyone. Thought about turning around but stupidly didn't. At the time it seemed dangerous to slow down and try to retrieve a bunch of bottles. UCAN'T drink it if you don't have it.  This has never happened on any of my training rides.  My solution was to bum a gel off another athlete. Soon I rode up along Sven who handed me a delicious piece of chocolate cake. Thanks Sven!

I realized I had some time till the first aid station around mile 14 where I could get some goodies so I kept it easygoing.  Over an hour without hydration was not the start to my race I had in mind.  I restocked with water and Gatorade and carefully tried to catch up on my hydration. In total I had 4-5 salt tabs, 4 bottles of water, 2 bottles of Gatorade (320 calories), 1 gel (100 calories), and 1/2 peice of chocolate cake (delicious calories).  Breaks down to 210ish calories/hr.  Actually felt fine with that, even on the run, however I don't think I would have been able to sustain that approach for a full IM.  Energy level wise no bonk but not ideal and not enough hydration.  

Best Bike Split projection at 80% FTP 2:24:xx at 256 avg power, 266NP, 0.79IF.

Actual time  2:28:xx, 231 avg power, 254NP, 0.77 IF,  144 avg hr.

Yes the Dimond is fast!  Dragging my fat ass around that hilly course in under 2:30:xx at 231watts is ridiculous!

Power was closer to that of a full IM and it felt easy.  Although I would have liked to have pushed it harder I also felt strongly about sticking to my power caps and coasting on descents to set up for my goal of a strong second half run. Found it challenging keeping my average power up without going over caps given multiple no pass zones, speed limits and lots of congestion on the road from previous waves.

T2  3:00 (very close to my competitors)

Run 1:37:xx Cramp city

Started out around 6:50 and this felt slow but I held back knowing things would change soon. At mile 5 I started to get hamstring cramps that worsened with each mile.  Never had leg cramping issues before and I'm fairly certain it was related to my lack of hydration and diet/nutrition.  Some fun blisters in Hoka Cliftons (for me a narrow toe box). These didn't pop up in training but wet socks, sweaty feet contributed.  I slowed to a shuffle between cramps and foot issues.  Given the amount I held back on the bike I am fairly disappointed in my run, my slowest HIM run since 2012. Going into race day I thought if I held back on the bike I could blast out a 1:26:xx.  Typical statement of an overzealous triathlete but we gotta aim high right?   Although I would like to point at hydration/nutrition/fatigue/being distracted by beautiful scenery as my excuses I believe at the root of it is a need for more mental toughness.  This shit is hard and is going to hurt!  Excited to make some changes and get back at it!

Total time 4:42:xx

A note on diet

7-10 days leading into the race I experimented with high fat, low carb diet in an effort to maximize my fat burning efficiently.  I loved the diet and felt my appetite was easy to control and my energy levels were very consistent.  I read and heard some athletes have issues with low sodium and cramps on this diet so I was supplementing sodium in the form of bouillon cubes.  

Takeaways

• Embrace the suck!
• Strongly consider going back for dropped nutrition and I need to find a reliable nutrition plan
• Cramps are real and can hurt (first experience with true leg cramps)
• Caution with diet changes before a race... duh!!!  Would like to do more strenuous and longer training days on the high fat low carb diet to see if the cramping I experienced was related to the diet or poor race day fueling/hydration.
• Do bike shakeout in morning the day before the race.  Allow for time to make small fixes. I did my easy ride in the afternoon and found I had a touch of rear brake rub that wasn't present during my last ride prior to leaving for So Cal.

Victoria 70.3

So the Dimond arrived about 2 weeks ago.  I must admit that I was nervous racing with only about 60miles of training on the new set up.  Folsom long course aqua bike, a week out, was a good final prep to nail down the seat height, other small adjustments, and nutrition to make sure things were good for the race.

The decision to race Victoria half ironman was a bit last minute.  Once I got the bike I got really motivated to get out and race. Victoria happened to be the only championship qualifying race that fit my work schedule prior to our trip to Spain in July. Having a sponsor is super cool but it also adds pressure to get out there and kick ass and race against the best. 

Leading into the race I wasn't sure what to expect.  My training this past spring was absolute rubbish.  With getting sick multiple times, wife's family visit, and working way to much I wasn't able to build up the fitness I usually have going into a race.  Last time I ran more than 10 miles before race day was in Arizona 7 months ago.

My goal was a top 5 in my age group(check) and to qualify for the half ironman championship(check).  I knew I wasn't going to set any records which in a way helped keep me from going out way too fast in each leg of the race.

The Ruster Sport crew came up with an amazing bike case, The Hen House, for traveling so I can just fly with my bike rather than shipping it around.  This is great because in the past I had to ship it out at least a week before and it usually cost $300.  The Dimond packs better than any bike I have ever had, leaving tons of room for other gear in the Hen House.

So here we go…

Pre-race Nutrition
No salad and minimal fiber starting 48hrs out

3hrs before race

Banana, Boost, 2 Rice cakes

2hrs before Starbucks double shot

1hr out sipped on Gatorade 

Air horn sounds!!

Swim 27:36

The swim was my fastest to date and the new Roka wetsuit fit great!  It really helps coming out of the water near the front.  Based on my Garmin distance and pro times it looks like it wasn't a "short swim"

Bike 2:29:xx
NP 265, Avg HR 144

The Dimond bike is ridiculous!  It is crazy fast but more importantly I feel really comfortable on it.  Biking is my strength but I didn't want to over do it and have nothing left for the run.  The course consisted of 2 hilly laps and being a beefcake (particular beefier than usual) I knew my weight would be a big limiter with all the climbing. I held back on the first lap, got in a groove then picked it up for lap 2. I passed tons of people on lap 2 that went out way to hard at the beginning.

Run 1:32:xx

The run was tough as expected but I tried to keep  6:50min miles which felt good till mile 10. I suffered through the last 3 miles and just missed out on 4th place.  

Looking a wee bit soft in the middle

Total 4:32:xx

Overall I am very happy with my day. Given my current fitness I couldn't have asked for more. It's kinda cool that smarts and experience helped make up for my less than ideal fitness. 

Key Points


Swim Keys

- good wetsuit fit

- training with sim shorts

- pull with paddles to keep arm muscular endurance up

- 100s for time to keep speed up

Overall my 2 HIM swims this past week we improved from priors despite considerably less pool time

Bike Keys

- comfortable fit

- drilling race power leading into the race

- holding back the first half (this will be super important going forward)

- nutrition: gel 20-15 min (start and end with less), 2.5 bottles water (go with feel. Don't take in to much)

Run Keys

- Newton Distance with Dust (lots) and Silk spray.  No socks

- Coke sips. Nutrition wasn't a limiter this time around!

- drilling race intensity leading into race

- will add box jumps to try and improve last race leg fatigue/aching

Now time to get back to solid training.  Pumped to bring the ruckus come 70.3 Worlds!!!

Billy Jean King on Visualization

Billy Jean King is a tennis legend and champion of gender equality

Below is an except from an NPR interview.

"Visualization I really used a lot. I use - I use to think about everything that could go wrong and then try to picture myself how I would react to it or how I'd respond to it. For instance, with the wind blowing, like last week at the U.S. Open it was really windy, and it was so hard on the players. So I always thought about the wind. I thought about the sun. I thought about bad line calls. I thought about rain if we had to wait, things that were probably out of my control, and how would I respond to them.

And I would think about how I wanted to act. Like they teach in acting, act as if, it's the same thing in sports. Do you stand up straight? Do you have your body language speaking in a confident way? Physically do you - how do you think - because 75 percent of the time when you're on the court, you're actually not hitting a ball, and I think that's where the champions come through.  So I would visualize all these different possibilities."

Her words struck a cord in many ways... in my life as a physician, as an athlete, and in my family. The first thing I thought of was my life in the emergency department.  Each day is something new and I never know what will come through the sliding doors next. Visualization is one of the most important ways we as emergency medicine physicians learn and prepare. As resident physicians we constantly had algorithms drilled into our heads to help visualize real situations in the ER.   

Attending: "Ventricular tachycardia!" 

Resident:  Stable or unstable?

Attending: "Unstable!"

Resident:  "Shock!"

The list of split second decision drills goes on indefinitely and their importance cannot be stressed enough.  Being a ER doctor is not just memorizing algorithms but we use them because quite simply they save lives.

In triathlon goggles get knocked off, tires go flat, and thighs chaff.   Make no mistake shit happens.  The phrase "don't worry about things you cannot control" goes out the window.  How we prepare for what we cannot control allows us to succeed when things go wrong or are unexpected.  Just as I cannot control what illness or injury my next patient might suffer from I can control how I treat them through hard work, constant learning, and diligent preparation.

My wife often talks about how her mother did her best to teach her children the importance of body language.  My wife every once in a while shares this with me.  "Stand up Straight" my mother in law would often say.  "Look your best at all times because you never know who you will run into" is one of my favorites.  My usual reply is "who cares who I run into", but this is short sighted and misses the point.  The point is true excellence is a habit and must be practiced with each movement and each decision.

Yes there are things we cannot control but it's how we respond to what happens that make us who we are.

The entire King interview is powerful in ways well beyond what I have discussed above touching on topics I don't dare dive into in a triathlon blog.  Well worth a listen if you are so inclined.