When silver is golden.

On Sunday, in the frozen tundra of Madison, WI. HD Coaching athlete and Mars Hill College cyclist Tim Jenkinson took home his second consecutive silver medal in the Collegiate National Cyclocross Championships.

As could be expected, the top step was the goal. A mechanical right at the start meant that he was way back in eighth after the first pit. For the rest of the race he chased through the field but ultimately ran out of time to close on the much deserved winner. As you can tell from the picture below, Tim was really and truly happy with his performance. He should be, he overcame a lot of adversity with crash related injuries and license problems that prevented him racing some key events.

Tim on the Podium!

The journey to get here was not straight forward and not done without a ton of hard work and dedication to the process. Never once did he give up or complain. Talking to him right after the race, he gave me the greatest compliment an athlete can give, "Buddy, I don't know what you did or how you did it, but I have never felt that good or strong in all my life!" I still get a lump in my throat over that. Thanks Tim!

I'm planning to interview Tim for a second blog entry so that you can get an insight into what it takes what had to be overcome to get here. Look for that in the next few days.

The end of one season the beginning of another and a National Championship medal..

It was a great weekend of competition for my athletes. I had a couple who were ending their season (including myself) and some who are just beginning their next season.

Tim Jenkinson, who has already won three Cat 1 cross races this season, took home an Omnium Bronze medal at the DII Collegiate National Championships racing for Mars Hill College. This came by way of a 5th in the Cross Country race and a Ninth in the Short Track race. Making this all the more impressive, the races were all at an altitude of 9000+ feet in Angel Fire, NM. Mars Hill College sits at about 2000ft.

With that Tim's mountain bike season ends and the serious work of Cyclocross begins. The goals are another national championship medal to add to his last year's silver and also score enough UCI points to get to represent South Africa at the U23 World Championships. Watch this space for more results to come!

Master's crosser George Berger has gone from solid middle of the pack to legitimate top 10 threat with a 12th this weekend in the packed Singlespeed category at the NCCX series and a 3rd at the masters tune up race in Spartabburg a few weeks ago. The original goal of "wanting to beat some friends I raced against last year" has turned into, "Let's see how far up in the top 10 I can get."

On the multisport front Daphne Kirkwood, Adam Nessen and I all went down to Wilmington, NC for the sold out Beach2Battleship half iron distance race. If you ever get a chance, this is an incredible event to race.

Daphne won her age group, set a new PR and was 12th overall! To say that I'm proud of Daphne's performance would be an understatement. She has battled with an SI joint issue for a good chunk of the season which had us working on her swim and bike.  It was only in the last 10 or so weeks that we able to do any consistent run volume. On top of all that she also has managed the tough training schedule despite working her day job and putting on 5-6 races in the area as well as launching the new Asheville Marathon at The Biltmore Estate.

Despite being an obvious overachiever I was still convincing her with a couple of weeks to go that she had the fitness to do well. She raced a bit conservatively which definitely bodes well for next year now that she is healthy.

Adam had a great race as well. He's worked super hard and been dedicated to the plan. That paid off with a Half Ironman PR. He beat his previous best by nearly 1.5 hours!

I had a good race too placing 5th Overall.

I think that there is nothing that makes me happier than for my athlete's to do well. It validates all the hard work they've done and the joy and satisfaction of a job well done confirms that the sacrifices were all worthwhile. Happy athletes=Happy Coach, I'm a very happy coach this week!

Speaking of new beginnings, be watching the space for announcements soon. I can't tell you what it is exactly (it will be coaching) but it is going to mean bigger and better things for all of my current and future athletes.

The Hits Keep Coming

It was a good weekend for several HD Coaching athletes. On the road front Tim Jenkinson turned 21 then proceeded to race to 2nd in the French Broad Cycing Classic Road Race ahead of Kenda Pro John Murphy and Bissell Pro Andy Baker. He finished off the omnium with an 11th place in the criterium and 4th overall in the Omnium.

Courtesy: Leah Graham Stewart

Technically he should have been 3rd overall and had another top 10 in the time trial. Unfortunately, the official was using a different clock than everyone else's cell phone and GPS's, which caused mass confusion and several missed start times. Overall an incredible performance from the young South African who only just upgraded in March.

Mark Ruscoe, racing in the 50+ division against rider like John Patton, and Kent Bostick was 7th in the Time Trial, 14th in the Road Race and 9th in the Criterium. All led to a 9th place Omnium Finish.

At the Asheville Tri, organized and promoted by HD Coaching athlete Daphne Kirkwood, Lonnie LaPorre was 3rd in the 60+ AG.

Don't call it a comeback!

Congrats to HD Coaching Athlete Daphne Kirkwood for coming third in the Open Female class at the Swamp Rabbit Triathlon at Furman University. It has been a tough season for Daphne. She's been dealing with a sprained SI joint which has made running difficult. However, it seems every time she lines up she brings home some hardware.

Also congrats to HD Coaching sponsored team Earth Fare/ Industry Nine for bringing home a bronze medal in the Pro 1.2 North Carolina State Championship. It was a long hard 104 miles. Team rider Caleb Welborn came in third in the field sprint. It was a  nice start to the second half of the season after a long mid season break

Tri Camp Asheville July 12-15

Accelerate 3 coaching & HD Coaching are excited to announce a four day triathlon training camp. This camp will be held in the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Asheville, NC.  Join us July 12-15 for some of the best riding and running on the east coast. 

We’ll cover a mix of flat and rolling roads with some stout climbs thrown in to test your legs.  Come pick our brains, ask us all the questions you always wanted to but never have.  Join your fellow athletes and campers for a 4 day training extravaganza.

Asheville has been called home by pro riders such as Ted King, Davide Frattini, Lauren Tamayo with current resident  pros  John Murphy (Kenda), Ally Stacher (Lululemon/Specialized),  Johnny Clarke (UHC) and Tour de France Veteren Brent Bookwalter (BMC). These pros, along with the many top amateurs, know that the combination of mild year round weather, low traffic and terrain that ranges from flat riverside roads to 12 mile steady climbs make for some of the best on-bike preparation of anywhere in the country. During camp we’ll be riding some of the same roads and climbs that were once covered in the famous Tour DuPont.

Asheville is also home to 100’s of miles of running and hiking trails. The running trails range from very technical single track on the Mountains to Sea trail, to groomed double and easy single track on the Bent Creek Experimental forest and DuPont National Forest preserve.  We’ll be taking a little break from pounding pavement to explore some of these areas.

Outside of training, Asheville has one of the most vibrant and diverse food cultures in the south. It has also been declared Beer City USA for the last 4 years.  If you are into that sort of thing, there are over 12 different Breweries in and around the area for you to explore and most recently Sierra Nevada, New Belgium and Oskar Blues have decided to open up their East Coast operations in the area.  Don’t explore too much, since there will be no mercy for any hangover induced grousing. 

What is included? 4 days of training in and around beautiful Asheville NC.  Pool access, daily rides and runs, swim stroke analysis, dinner one night as a group.  Please be prepared to ride and run 4x per camp and swim 3x.

Who is it for? This camp is geared towards intermediate to advanced multisport athletes.

What is not included? Lodging and most meals are not included. You will also need to bring at least 2 spare tubes and the knowledge on how to change them.  We will have support during the camp but that is not a guarantee that support will be next to you when you need it the most.

What is the cost? Camp cost is $450, Accelerate 3 and HD Coaching athletes are offered a discounted rate.  Athletes are responsible for their own hotel and food costs.  Accelerate 3 and HD coaching will be providing a BBQ dinner one night during camp for participants. Participants are required to be USAT members per 
insurance requirements.


For more info contact either Heath - heath@hdcoaching.net or Brian- get_faster@hotmail.com

Race Report: Try Charleston Half

I figured I had better write this up now since I have another half iron-distance, 70.3, 4:xx hours of pain, or whatever you want to call it race coming up in a few days. I know if I get behind on writing the report, it will never get done. So here it is short and sweet.

I did not taper for this race. The Thursday and Friday before I took it a bit easier mostly due to a nagging sore throat and not great sleep before. On the way down, I was doing my best to ignore the scratch in my throat and be positive. I woke up race morning feeling pretty normal. My allergies have been murder this year so I was hopeful that was all it was.

A very special mention goes out to Andre Bennatan at Kiwami USA. I had been scrambling getting graphics and sponsors lined up and sent him everything on Monday before the race. By Thursday my suit (the best in the world Amphibian Prima!!!) was printed and waiting for me at the hotel. I can't speak highly enough for the customer service and the quality of products. Thanks again Andre!

Swim: 34:00

So disappointed with that. I've really emphasized swimming in my training and from about November through the end of February I was swimming 4-5 days a week. I've lopped off a good 10 seconds per hundred and finally I'm not wondering around like a drunk person looking for my locker after every workout. 

The start was normal enough and swimming in the open category I knew everyone would be much faster than I was used to. I  felt like I was ready for that. The first lap was good and I was holding feet fine and then for some reason I lost the feet of the person in front of me. I then swam the next lap pretty much on my own. Unfortunately, I have a tendency to get into a rhythm on my own that is too slow to be competitive. That's it really. Let's just say I swam below my potential.

Bike: 2:10:30

Immediately onto the bike I was not super comfortable. It wasn't my position, but it felt like someone had punched me in the right inside quad just above my knee. The legs were turning over but didn't feel super powerful. At this point I wasn't super confident about how things were going to go on the run so I just tried to hold between 270-300 watts and see what happened.

Apparently, on a not great day for me, the fastest bike split of the day happened. The next person was around 3:00 back and then third fastest split was around 5:00 back. One thing I noticed on the bike, was there were a couple of "packs". One I passed and the other one was the group of leaders who had come out of the water together. The winner, Patrick Farwell, was a bit off the front of this group. To me drafting is no different than cutting the run or swim course. Obviously that is not the case for everyone.

In the end I had an average wattage of 270 which was about 20 watts under goal. I think my position is dialed in since almost 26mph for a 6'4" guy on that wattage is pretty darned fast. Super fast wheels courtesy of  Industry Nine didn't hurt either. On bike nutrition was handled by CarboRocket Half Evil Endurance Fuel along with some salt stick caps added to the mix for extra electrolytes.

Run: 1:38

My plan was to try to run a 1:30. That obviously didn't happen. The rough feeling legs on the bike continued on the run and despite a few fast early miles I went into survival mode. It is funny to me now that last year I would have been happy with 1:38, and this year it is a survival run. 

I started the run in 5th or 6th position and then got run down by 8 or 9 people. That's not much fun. In the end I still PR'd with a 4:25:58. I was shooting for 4:20 or better. 

Final: 14th Overall and 1st Open Master Male 

Post Race:

Jenn and I spent the next few days relaxing in Charleston. We stayed in small neighborhood right off of King Street. The nice part, besides being away from home and relaxing in a nice place was the $14 pitchers of margaritas and $1.50 tacos at Juanita Greenbergs. We also discovered a bunch of new restaurants and perhaps the best burger I've ever eaten. If you get a chance try the burger at HOM, you won't be disappointed.

Next White Lake. Or as it is affectionately known, White Bake. It looks like it is going live up to it's name. After and unseasonably cool last couple of weeks, White Lake is turning up the heat to a forecasted 92 degrees, just in time for the race. Wish me luck, hopefully I won't be seeing dead relatives like I did last time I was there...

Thanks to my supporters: Jenn (aka the wife), Kiwami, Industry Nine, Jus' Running, Motion Makers Bike Shop, Carbo Rocket, iDaph Events, EarthFare

Together We Will: Be Part of Something Bigger

Last weekend, I was reminded that success has many forms, and it isn't just about personal success. One of the best things is to be part of a winning team and contribute to that success.  I've been writing this in my head for the last four or five days during every one of my workouts. It is pretty much the only thing I've been thinking about.

I've been away from real bike racing for almost nine years. I've raced some in the last two years, but on Sunday I felt like a bike racer again. I rode well and smooth and avoided falling down. The entire race was on feel and the power was there when I needed it.

The course is one that I've done many times. I've won there, been in breaks, been the last guy in a successful lead out train there. In short it was kind of like going home again.

None of that really excited me though. If I had been racing solo, I probably would have gone home and simply chalked it up to a nice training day. What excited me was to be a part of team performance that exceeded expectations and sent a shot across the bow of all the other teams in attendance.

Our Earth Fare/ Industry Nine team, one that I have had a stake in building, came together and raced like a well drilled machine, not one that had only really done a hand full of races together. It was just simply amazing to be part of a success like that again. I would say that we rivaled the team work of the last team I managed.

One Step To Go.

Our team captain Evan Fader led by example and initiated the break and our young South African rider Tim Jenkinson rode like a seasoned pro (not someone riding his first Pro 1/2 crit)  by taking a free ride across and then slaying himself for Evan in the break.

The rest of the team was then able to sit in the field and let other teams do all the work. In the end we didn't win just barely being beaten to the line by a Bissell pro rider. But two podiums in one weekend shows that we have a team to be respected. I know much more success is to come.

I think that is the essence of a team. When someone on your team wins, you win with them. It doesn't matter who it is crossing the line as long as the jersey is ours. That is so often lost with so many other so called "teams". You can't fight each other for leadership as there are different leaders on different days. I know that  any of these guys will turn themselves inside out for a TEAM victory. They also know that one day their time will come as well.

Earth Fare has a slogan "Together We Will", I think this weekend the team lived up to that slogan.

Coming soon to a race near you!

Power-itis

Power-itis- (n) pow-er-i-tis- An affliction befalling cyclists and triathletes upon immediately acquiring a power meter. Symptoms include half wheeling, pedaling excessively on  every down hill, over exertion on every rise and an obsessive desire "to make the number bigger".  In rarer cases often afflicting triathletes, waiting on every hill may occur because the afflicted rider does not want to exceed his/her target zone.

Just last night I had a friend send me a message on Facebook all excited about purchasing a new power meter, his first. I had actually encouraged it. He's been doing a lot of work at a local Computrainer facility and most of our discussions revolve around power; power on the climbs vs. flats, normalized power vs. average power. etc. He's also an engineer, and like most engineers he's a bit obsessive about numbers, charts and graphs. In short, getting a power meter is perfect for him (I think it is perfect for almost everyone but that's a different topic).

After discussing what he got and how excited he was to get it, I think he was a bit surprised for me to tell him that I would ride with him again after a month has passed. I simply told him that he would have a case of power-itis and that I didn't want to deal with it until it he was over it.

Of course he had no idea what I was referring to, and how would he, since I just made up the term on the spot. But it is a real affliction and one I've seen time and time again with the proliferation of power meters in the ranks.

Sometimes this is the only solution.

Just like everyone, I've been afflicted with it as well. Only it was a long, long time ago. With me it started on the Computrainer in 1994 and then on the road in 98-99 starting with a Powertap and then later moving to an SRM. The trick to overcome it, is to treat your power meter for what it is, a tool and not a challenge.

My number one suggestion is if you are doing a group ride and have a specific power based workout to do, leave the group and do it on your own. No one will get upset if you leave and go hammer, but I guarantee people will say nasty things about you if you are hammering every climb and decent in the group.

Just remember, used properly and with the right guidance and analysis a power meter can help you realize great gains in fitness. Use it improperly, and you're probably just pissing everyone off.

Enjoying the Ride

Sometimes, you have to put away the numbers and the training and schedule and just enjoy the ride. Yesterday was that day for me.

The recent early spring weather has kicked my allergies into high gear. This has left me feeling listless, tired, fatigued and generally unmotivated to hike my butt up on the saddle. It was an abnormally warm 70 degree 1st day of March and riding in shorts and short sleeves was enough to get me out.

Did I have my SRM recording all my ride, of course I did, but I really wasn't paying much attention to the numbers looking back at me on my Garmin. I just rode. I rode up the Blue Ridge Parkway, down into and around town. I stopped by Chainheart bike store to say hi and socialize a little bit. I was in no hurry, and had no intervals planned. It was nice!

I saw probably 35-40 other people just out enjoying the ride. No one else really seemed in a hurry and everyone had a smile on their face. It was during this time I was reminded of something very important, if you aren't enjoying yourself then what is the point. It was nice to turn off my brain, turn on my legs and just tune into my great fortune of being able to ride in one the greatest place on earth.

I am lucky that I was able to take the day in and remind myself that there will be plenty of time for intervals and "training". Sometimes, you just have to go out, breath deeply and enjoy the ride.

So you say you wanna Hoka? Initial impressions of some big shoes..

What are these Hoka's you say? They are shoes, running shoes actually. But they look like and feel like nothing you've probably ever worn before.

I have been wanting to try out a pair of these shoes for some time. A good friend of mine, former pro triathlete and super stud duathlete, Jay Curwen recently reviewed the shoes in Blue Ridge Outdoors magazine. I wanted to talk to him about the shoes, and as luck would have it he had just started repping them after his article came out. He offered to put me in a pair for some feedback. I obviously jumped at the opportunity, and so here we are.

The full name is Hoka One One (HO-ka O-nay O-nay). It is Maori (native Polynesian New Zealanders' language) for fly over earth, hence the brand tag, Time to Fly. The particular model I'm using is the Bondi-B (Bond-Eye) named after Bondi Beach in Australia. To make things more complicated, one of the founders of the company is French and is a mountain runner. 

Suffice it to say the name is and probably always will be pronounced wrong, and no one will really know where they came from. This is not a problem for the company as long as people are buying them, and they are. If you find a pair in your local running store they will be full price, and if they have your size you better buy them since the demand is currently outstripping production.

Reminds me of the big fish eating little fish illustrations

Now on to the shoes themselves. At first glance they look big. Actually, at every glance after the first they look big. To be honest, even though I had done a lot of research on them, I was still surprised at the look of them. I don't mind flashy attention grabbing shoes at all, but these would probably only generate more looks if they were actually on fire. The ones I have are the black colorway, I can only imagine what would happen if they were the bright neon soled ones. 

If you are self-conscious or have a burning desire to match you running attire you may want to skip over these. Actually, if you fall into the above category, you should probably just stop reading since this article will not be geared towards you.

The Hoka's are a low ramp/drop shoe. This means that the difference between the heel and toe is less than a typical running shoe. Most traditional running shoes have about a 10-12mm heel to toe difference. The Hoka's have only a 4mm difference. That is exactly the same as my preferred shoe, the Saucony Kinvara. Most racing flats are somewhere between 4-7mm difference.

The idea behind the low ramp/drop shoes is that it puts your foot in a more natural position and allows you to run the way nature intended. I'm not sure how much I truly buy into the whole natural running movement, but to me a low drop shoes feels better and faster. I however, know plenty of fast people, and have friends that have no issues running circles around me in a traditional shoe. I say this so that you know where I am coming from in my preferences.

I will say that even though these have a minimal drop, they are not minimal shoes. They have about 250% more blown EVA foam in the sole than a typical shoe. This is what makes them truly unique.

My initial try on of the shoe at Jay's house showed that, for me, they run about a half size small. This is pretty consistent with what I've read. I wear an 11 in Saucony and a 11.5 Hoka.

Gene Simmons says your shoes look funny!

The out of the box feel is kind of crazy. They don't really feel so much like running shoes as they do supportive cushions for your feet. It is about like walking on newly laid down plush carpet with a thick padding underneath. They feel great.

What I was surprised about was that while they look huge, they don't feel huge. I was kind of expecting some sort of awkward Gene Simmons KISS boots moment, but instead I got, well, normal. When looking straight down on them they look fairly normal as well. They aren't heavy either. Even with all that foam, they were still in the weight range of a typical lightweight trainer.

Normal enough?

Because the soles are so thick they are rockered (Click Here for Tech Info) to make up for the lack of normal flex. The soles are also wide. There is no supportive devices incorporated into the shoes, but the shoes are inherently stable just by design.

After my first couple of runs in them, I have to say, I was a bit less than enamored. As I said, I run in the Kinvara which are super flexy shoes with very little support. The lack of flex in the Hokas have taken some getting used too.

After about 50 miles in the shoes they've broken in and I feel much more comfortable running in them. I think I run a little differently in these shoes than I do normally. It is hard to pin down, but switching back and forth between shoes has not been a problem.

Wide=Stable but not restrictive

The shoes really shine in two places, downhills and on the trails. This is not terribly surprising ,as that is what they were originally designed for. My driveway is a tenth mile 25% grade ramp. Generally I walk down to the road before starting my run.  With the Hoka's, I just run down the hill. The jarring of the typical downhill is reduced to floating.

On the trails these shoes are ridiculous. I've been running in an INNOV8 f195. It is again another super flexible and light shoe. It is fast and free except that you really have to pick your lines on the rooty, rocky Mountains to Sea trail that I run on. With the Hoka', it is like strapping all wheel drive to your feet. You just go, rocks and roots be damned. The shoes just completely eat up everything in their path. For trail running, I think my Innov8's are retired.

I recently did a longish run in my Kinvaras. I hadn't run much in them since I got the Hoka's. I used to think the Kinvara's were cushy marshmallow shoes. The Hoka's made them feel like racing flats. I'm kind of afraid to see what my racing flats are going to feel like.

The big "WHY" for me to try these out was the hopeful side benefit of all the cushion. Being a multisport athlete who was a Cat 1 cyclist in a prior life, I'm constantly looking for a way to save my legs. I've come late to running and quite frankly running trashes your legs for the bike. I feel like these have helped ease my pain a little bit. My legs feel a bit fresher after the long runs and the following day's long ride.

Personally I think these are an ideal distance shoe and a really good trainer for multisport athletes. I also think it would be good for someone who may be prone to injuries since they are so cushioned. The inherent stability, but lack of posting, also makes it work for just about any running style.

I'm planning to do a follow-up post to this once I've actually had time to put more than a couple of weeks on them. Overall, I'm pleased with the shoes. They are definitely going to be my general training shoe. They aren't, for me, a very fast feeling shoe. I feel like I can get by with some light tempo in them, but anything much faster, I feel I'm better off in my Kinvaras. If you have any questions, feel free to ask!

Thanks again to Jay Curwen for the shoes and trusting me to write a decent review.

Just .3oz more than Asics Sky Speed

The Quiver..

Back in the Game...

So it seems I've managed to get myself involved in the cycling team game once again. I'm not saying this is a bad thing, but I guess we tend to fall back into old habits easily.

Back in the late 90's and through about 2005, I  ran the Cane Creek Elite Team. This amounted to, securing sponsorship, recruiting riders, baby sitting said riders and generally making our tiny little budget look 10 times bigger than it ever was.

I look back on that time proudly. We accomplished many great things and won a lot of races. Some of the riders have gone on to bigger and better things. But most of all, we had more fun than any bunch of guys should be allowed to have.

Fast forward to 2011, and after a season as a guest rider/mentor/guy who knows something for a new little team called Asheville Grass Roots/Industry Nine, finds me back in the hot seat as part time director, sponsorship coordinator and all around old guy who knows something.

Luckily I'm not doing this all alone this time. Chris Larsen, Drew Hager and Matt Dinsmore are all taking on roles. It is nice to have these guys to bounce ideas off of and who are truly looking out for the benefit of the team and not their own personal interest. They created Asheville Grassroots, and I am happy they have asked me to join the ride.

I didn't think I would be back here again. In fact I had pretty much told myself that I would never do this again. It is funny how the pain of something seems to always dissipate over time.  It is just like when we turn ourselves inside out, cramping wheezing and stumbling across the finish line and promise, never again, only to find ourselves analyzing the data and doing more painful intervals so that we can once again experience the joy of winning. With this team I'm finding the prospect of a winning scenario to hard to ignore.

I'm personally sponsoring the team through my business, HD Coaching, and have the privilege of coaching some truly up and coming talents.   We are going to be announcing the rest of our sponsors in the coming weeks. Some of them you know, some of them you don't. We hope the faith they have put in us will be a 10 fold return on their investment.

If you don't already follow the team on Facebook go here: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100001680326288

ITU World's..It doesn't always stay in Vegas.

When is a "race report" not  race report? When it the race turns into a survival slog, a lesson in humility and most of of all a valuable learning experience.

As most of you know, I competed in the ITU World Triathlon Championships recently. A season of preparation came down to one day and one race in Las Vegas/Henderson NV. There is a certain anxiety that comes with putting all of one's eggs in a single basket. I was hyper focused and clearly not my normal chipper self in the days leading up the race. I'd like to make a formal apology for that. Since the race, I think normalcy has begun to return and I've certainly had time to think analyze my race and take away some very important lessons. Hopefully you can learn something from them as well!

Two Thirds of my cheering section

Before I get too far into this, I want to thank my wonderful wife for putting up with my "unchipperness" and cheering me on. I also want to thank our good friends Ralf and Dara for making the trip from San Francisco to yell at me for a few hours. It is always nice to hear your name, even more so when you are suffering like a dog 2500 miles away from home.

The race was supposed to be a 4k Swim, a 120k (75 mile) bike and 30k (18.6 mile) run. Mother Nature conspired against us in the form of heavy rain, high winds and huge cold front blowing in the night before. We were staying on site and as I made my way down to go finish setting up all of my gear Jenn and I were met in the lobby by a fellow athlete who informed us that the swim was cancelled.

I'm not a super swimmer, but I've been working hard in the pool, so needless to say I was bummed. I didn't understand why at first, but in hindsight it was the right call. The water temp had dropped to 55 degrees and it was 37 degrees outside. The rules said, in black white, too cold, cancel the swim. *(see lesson one below).

Chilly Start..

The race was turned into a bike/run event. All the athlete's started in the cold one by one every 5 seconds. The bike course was very hilly with roughly 5100 ft of vertical gain. The wind was not howling, but it wasn't exactly calm either. Simply put, even for a ex-cyclist it was a hard course.

Going too hard..

The staggered start created a bike racing mentality and unfortunately after 12 years of racing bikes I have a hard time turning it off *(See lesson two). Simply put, I smashed myself racing the eventual winner and realized on the way into town what I had done. Unfortunately by that time it was far too late to do anything about it.

When I got to the run transition I was in a bit of a panic mode and a bit delirious as well. Looking at my transition time, I could have had a picnic lunch in the changing tent. In hindsight I think maybe that would have been a good idea.

I started the run hoping and praying that my legs would come around. It is pretty depressing when you see the mile 1 marker, you feel cracked, and you realize you have 17.6 miles to go. Still I was hoping for a miracle. *(see lesson three)

The course was four laps of a pretty hard out and back loop. Essentially you ran one way on the road then ran back from where you came from on the sidewalk. Half the course was downhill, unfortunately that meant you ran back up hill for the other half. The run had about 1200 vertical gain, which under normal conditions would not have been to bad. Unfortunately, these were not normal conditions.

I'll save you from the drama, but I ran pretty much the whole way and walked the aid stations. With all that walking and a 2 minute stop in the Port-O-John I averaged 8:40 miles. I felt like a mall walker. But I was not going to fly across the country and quit, so with a healthy bit of encouragement from my tiny entourage I finished the race. *(see lesson four)

I was certainly not the only person who had problems. This was taken from Michael Raelert's Facebook page. Michael is a 2 time World Champion and one of the best triathlon runners in the world. When he passed me he looked pedestrian. I had to do a double take to make sure who I was seeing. Granted his pedestrian run is streets faster than mine. (English is not his first language so excuse the grammar)

actually i cannot remember the race. i know there was no swim, b/c of the cold weather, and a big explosion after 100km (on one of the toughest bike courses i'Ve ever rode on) - maybe you've heard this big bang even back in germany. my legs just went off and didnt wanna keep going. i lost more than 4:30min on the last 20km - in watts from 297 down to 186 - this is a lot. but it was really surprising how i started the run with these legs. i've got back in the game and kept up the speed(5:15/mile). i got really excited b/c i got significant closer to the front and got my mind back still for the win. unfortunately, after 2 1/2laps(of 4) there was another big big explosion. you might heard this one as well and than the interesting part begun. i cannot remember anything until then. the last thing i know, i've got overtaken by some girls and then i "woke up" in the resting area. first question: "where am i and did i finish?" - i did and i am really happy with this fact. for myself, it was the best performance ever - for sure not from the "sporty" perspective - just in general. but i think it cost me another 5% of my regular lifetime.

*(see lesson five)

• Lesson 1: Expect the unexpected. Figure out an alternative plan and try to execute that plan. Don't just "wing it". I had a set plan going into this race. Without the swim my plan got thrown out. In the future I'll make sure I come up with a new plan and stick to it.

• Lesson 2: Ride the bike on target, not like a crazy person. The first 56 miles I rode super fast. The last 20 I came unglued. I had ridden too hard. My output for the last 45 minutes was only 60 percent of what I had done for the previous 2:45. Had I ridden a steady pace, my OWN pace, I would have finished with roughly the same time and still been able to run.

• Lesson 3: There are no miracles. Once you have overcooked yourself, it is nearly impossible to get your legs to come back around. On a hilly course like this, just plain impossible.

• Lesson 4: Never give up. Sometimes your best performances are not your wins, but the ones that push you beyond what you thought was possible. It was not the performance I wanted or was capable of, but I am proud that I finished with my head held high (well except at the finish when I bent over and tried not to throw up). I learned that I can go to some pretty dark places and still come out relatively unscathed. These experiences will only help in the future.

• Lesson 5: Have Fun. This is the most important one of all. I suffered like a dog, but I had fun. It was great to have people shouting "Go USA!, Go Dotson!" all the way around the course. It was cool to know where all of your competitors were from. It was great to be competing in that very big pond and realize I'm not a super small fish. We saw the Hoover dam, Lake Mead National Park the day before the race and partied in Vegas on Sunday night. Were these things best for my prep or recovery? No. But they sure were fun! 

So all in all, I learned some very important lessons in Vegas and those lessons I am making sure don't stay there.

Thanks to Jenn, Earthfare, First Endurance nutrition, HD Coaching. Cyclesport Concepts. If you haven't had a chance to check out my website please do.. www.HDCoaching.net. Thanks for Reading!

The Start...

Where the wheels came off!

DAAAAAAMMMMMM!!!!!

Post Race at the Venetian

REV3 Anderson.. A half rev breakthrough.

I generally don't post race reports. Well for that matter I generally don't post much at all. I am working on rectifying this for several reasons, first I have a new business I'm trying to get started (www.hdcoaching.net), secondly I believe I have some useful information and experience to share and lastly I have a few new sponsors that I need to keep happy.

And now the report...

Some things do go as planned...A half rev breakthrough.

I had pegged the Rev3 Half Rev in Anderson, SC from the beginning of the year for many reasons. It was close by, it was exactly 4 weeks out from the ITU Long Course World Championships, it was said to be a challenging course and everything thing I'd heard about REV3 (www.REV3tri.com) was nothing but effusive positivity. It would be a excellent opportunity to get a "gut check" race in as well as a final test of my nutrition schedule for worlds.

Going into the race I purposely did not do much of a taper. According to all the metrics I follow in Training Peaks my rested state should fall right on race day but be in the negative for most of the week before. Also I wanted to go straight back to training once it was all said and done to put the finishing touches on my form for worlds.

Saturday: Pre Race

My biggest fan, Jenn and I loaded up the car and prepared for the hour and half drive down to Anderson, SC. It was definitely nice to not have to travel far to get to the race site. We arrived and were greeted with a massive race site that was hauled in on two tractor trailers. They are definitely family friendly with a huge kid zone with a bounce house and slide, in short these guys are pros at what they do.

Check in was painless. Actually it was better than painless when the girl checking me in (she was the same age as me) thought I was one of the collegiate competitors. Heck, at that point no matter how the race went it was already a good weekend!

We then jumped back in car and went to the first transition area at Lake Hartwell. I dropped off the bike, checked out the swim course, then got back in the car to drive part of the bike course. The bike course was hilly and technical with lots of turns. It was clear it was not going to be a fast bike. We then went back to the venue for a little 2 mile shake out run and we were done.

I almost forgot, there was a "celebrity" siting there as well. Ryan Sutter of bachelorette fame was there with camera crews and a team of scientist from gatorade. I made it my mission to beat him at all costs. 

Behold the Fro!

4:45 AM... Beep BEeeep, BEEEP, BEEEEEPP

I am not a morning person and no matter how many times I've been up at this hour to go swim it still sucks. As I was eating my Koala Krisps and sucking down as much liquid calories as possible, Jenn popped out to go get coffee. She definitely deserves a medal of honor for finding an open Quickie Mart with decent coffee.

We got out the door, set up run transition, and then headed back over to bike transition. It was dark and we took a wrong turn. Luckily, other than me internally freaking out while trying to remain outwardly calm, it was a non issue.

I saw one of my old bike racing buddies, Chris "G-man" Giordinelli, before the start. He is one of the best AG triathletes in the Southeast. I told him to say hi as he went by on the run..

The Swim: 33 minutes

Me and a hundred of my other rubber clad compadres piled into the water as if our life depended on it. A couple of dolphin dives and then we were swimming. The first turn buoy came quickly as we all took turns clubbing each other in the head and swimming over or under those who forgot the race doesn't end at the first turn.

I settled into my own rhythm and lost the pack doing so. The water was a bit choppy from the all the wind and I never found any feet to draft off of. Coming into the last turn buoy I kicked hard going around and then  BAM, cramps in both calves. The last 200 meters or so were about just getting into shore. I'm sure I lost a ton of time there.

Getting out was another challenge as there were sharp rocks and mud and sand. These things would come back to haunt me a bit later.

 I saw Jenn sitting at the exit and cheering me on. That always helps the motivation.

I stripped out of my wetsuit quickly and then struggled to put it in the bag they provided. The only complaint I have on the whole weekend, organizers, a wetsuit that fits someone my size does not go into a tiny plastic bag very well!

The Bike 56 miles: 2:24 (3rd fastest Amateur)

Time to DO WORK son!

It was time to go to work. It was hilly and windy, with 12-15mph winds. The hilly part wasn't so bad the windy part was a different story.  There were a lot of turns which I railed full speed and I'm sure made up a ton of time. Overall it was a fun and fair course.

Jenn and my friend Ryan were following along electronically at the venue. Apparently I went into the lead pretty early on on the bike course. I had no way of knowing this so I just kept the hammer down.

Remember that mud and sand I mentioned in the swim? I could feel it sandpapering the tops of my toes for 56 miles. I knew I wasn't going to have pretty feet going onto the run.

The Run Half Marathon: 1:34 (15th fastest Amateur)

I slid my bike to a halt and did a full on cyclocross step through dismount. I think one of the volunteers needed to change their pants afterwards. The rest standing there were just impressed (well that's how it played out in my head).

I had made special note of my transition spot and wasted no time finding it. I racked my bike and went about putting my shoes on. Bloody toes... awesome. Transition went like this, Socks on, shoes on, hat, no, gel, no, number belt, garmin now get the heck out. I heard Jenn yelling but for the life of me I couldn't find her.

On the run course I was clicking off 6:30-40 miles for the first almost two miles. I was trying to force myself to slow down. I was optimistically hoping to run a 1:35. A time I've never ever run before.

I settled into a rhythm and just focused on the job at hand. The course was rolling but not what I would call hilly (700ft elevation gain). It was pretty and we wound our way around a couple of parks and then through downtown and then back.

The aid stations we numerous and very well stocked. One was especially well stocked. A local college's women's volleyball team had come out and dressed in Halloween "costumes".  Most of the costumes consisted of as little fabric as possible to convey the actual character, ie. traffic cop, genie, mermaid.. We passed through that one three times. I'm sure that was planned. I told you REV3 were pros!

I alternated between coke/water and gatorade. I have never felt that strong on a run. On the way back in from town G-man was still heading out. The shout "When did you learn to run?" was truly one of the highlights of my day.

Trotting down the finish...No T-Rex

With about 4 miles I could start to feel the effort. But at that point you are more or less home. I just ran as hard as my legs would take me. G-man passed me with about a mile to go. He apparently went deep to catch me and was rewarded for his effort. The person to closest guess their time won a bike rack system from Yakima. He finished within one second of his guessed time.

As I was coming down the finish shoot I was catching a woman who had done the shorter race. I eased up so I wouldn't mess up her finish photo. I went straight through the finish and was thrilled with my performance. I found Jenn, finally, and she informed me that I had won! I couldn't believe it. I was hoping for an age group top 5, and as it turned out I was 7th Overall. I think I'm ready for Worlds.



For all my efforts I received a nice glass trophy, a free pair of shoes, a magazine subscription, a $20 gift certificate and a fuel belt. REV3 really takes care of their participants. Next stop Sin City and the ITU Long Course World Championships.

Notes:

• Did I tell you how great my Wife is? She got coffee, took pictures, shuttled my bike pump and gear, and still got in a 10 mile run. 
• I owned Ryan Sutter Mr. Bachelorette. Over a 20 minute beating. Nice.
• Awesome, awesome organization and venue. You owe it to yourselves to do a REV3 next year
• I took 1 bottle on the bike and replaced it with a gatorade at every feed station. In total I consumed about 800-900 calories. The plan worked to perfection. The top 3 bike splits were inside of a minute of each other, everyone else was minutes back.
• I had a power goal of approximate 280 watts. When I downloaded my computer, 280 watts. Perfect.
• I ran to the plan. I tried to hold mostly 7 minute miles knowing I would slow down on the uphill and speed up on the down hills. My last couple of miles were slower, but it was because I had no one in sight behind me.
• Thanks to Jenn, Industry Nine, First Endurance Nutrition, Earthfare, HD Coaching. 

 

SEE YOU IN VEGAS!

A year gone by.

This was written in January.. 


It has been nearly a year since I started the experiment with Triathlon. I guess technically I did a couple of sprints  in 2009, but I don't really count those since I didn't really even train for them. But I, will forever call 2010 my first "season".


In 2009, 9 miles running was a good "week". In my first triathlon I rode a borrowed bike and it was my 13th ride in 6 years. I swam twice, with no previous swimming background, before my first triathlon. I was 6th overall bike split and 6th in my age group. During the run, which was a third of my weekly volume, I think I saw Jesus not once but twice. It would have been more helpful had he shown up on the swim since he walks on water and all. It was also my first ride in the rain since I stopped riding my bike in 2003.


In 2010, I ran over 8 miles at one time, on purpose. I rode my bicycle in the rain, again, on purpose. I bought a time trial made out of carbon fiber. I woke up at 4:45 to go swim. Until that point I don't think I ever purposely gotten up that early. I certainly didn't do it 3 times a week. And definitely not to drive across town in the snow to jump in a pool.

In 2010, I also did my first ever half marathon, training or otherwise, in my first event, which was a Half Ironman distance race. It was 95 degrees, and 8 months later I still have a farmers tan from it. I saw dead people on this run. Jesus decided not to show up as it was far to hot.


The rest of the season was up and down. I was training myself and despite a lot of knowledge on the bike side, I really had no clue how to juggle three sports. After getting absolutely obliterated and humbled by a friend (thanks Chris), I decided I would get a coach. I also set a goal,  I decided that I would attempt to qualify for the ITU Long Distance World Championships to be held in the US, in 2011, for the first time in many years. 


Katie Malone from Malone Coaching is who I chose. I initially met Katie through our dog. Well more specifically we got our dog from Katie. She rescues Weimaraners, and there is a special place in the afterlife for her, since she is seldom, if ever, without five of them. One Weim is handful, I can't even imagine two, much less five.


Our dog is also the reason I started running, well more like jogging. I found it pretty fun to go running, what I then thought was fast, in the woods. That lead to thinking about a triathlon, and with a nudge or three from our friends Chris and Sarah, brings me back full circle.


Katie was critical to my success at the end of the season. She routinely pushed me to the breaking point, and when I would ask for mercy, she would give me a an off week which would include a 15 mile trail run, you know, just for fun. It was just enough to hold the fine line of form and fatigue. She did a great job with me, especially considering she didn't have any previous history with me. She later admitted that she wouldn't give this plan to just anyone. It was a high burnout plan of all quality hard workouts. Mentally and physically it was pretty brutal. In her defense, I gave her only nine weeks to get me in shape. So I definitely deserved the punishment.


With Katie I got results, pretty much straight away. Two PR's in 5k's, and an Age Group first and second in two races leading up to the Qualifier. I got these results without any rest going into them. They were in effect, training races. Hmm, I think this coaching thing definitely has its merits. 


The Qualifier was a half iron man distance event in Myrtle Beach and was a huge success for me. The event itself, being in its first year, was an unmitigated disaster. Heavy rains in the days before the race cancelled the swim due to e coli levels being to high in the water. Basically a case of to much poop in the soup. The bike course was pretty straight forward, flat and windy, and apparently, despite the rule book, draft legal. Having three different length events on the course at the same time did not help.


During the run I felt like a rat in a maze trying to find the cheese. We looped, and doubled back on ourselves several times. And to steal a quote from my friend Chris Giordanelli, if Columbus was required to successfully navigate this course without a map to find the America's, we would all still be living in Europe right now.


Despite all this, I met my goal. I finished ninth in my age group I qualified as one of twenty people to represent Team USA in 2011. I had a PR Half Marathon and the 3rd fastest overall bike split. In short, the end of the season, with help from Katie, was a huge success. 


I want to give special mention to Norm and Norm's maggots from Jus' Running here in Asheville. This speed work at the UNCA track was a critical building block to my season's end. One of my proudest moments is when Norm referred to me as a maggot. That is some pretty good company to keep!


The off season was a huge success too. A 10 year anniversary trip to Mexico with Jenn, my wife and biggest supporter was a great kick off to the "not training so much season".


I was really proud of one race in the off season. It wasn't my race, but I paced Jenn to a 5k PR and she took nearly minute off of her best time.  She worked especially hard, running 6 days a week when everyone else had pretty much had it with training. I was and am still over the moon that I could be a part of that.


Otherwise, birthday parties, music festivals, reunions and just down time with friends rank as highlights that outshine most all of my athletic accomplishments. My liver is probably happy that season is over for now.


Results for 2010


All 35-39 Age Group
Halfmax Long Course Nationals- 9th 3rd overall bike split (2:12:30 for 56 miles)
Lake Lure Sprint Tri- 1st
Cane Creek Sprint Tri- 2nd
Enka Lake Sprint Tri-3rd
Camp Thunderbird Sprint Tri-6th
White Lake II Half Ironman-7th
Lake Logan International Tri-9th
Hot August nights 5k- 2nd 10th Overall PR
Charlotte Hog Jog 5k- 2nd PR
Kingsport Turkey Trot -2nd Paced Jenn to a PR!

First Post...

There always has to be a first post. This is it. This is an ex-Bike Racer turned Triathlete's blog. It is self indulgent as all blogs are. And apparently if you are a triathlete you have to have a blog. It is apparently not enough to talk about training and racing all the time. A triathlete must subject family and friends to reading about it too. 

About the name:

At this point I've got it titled "Life On and Off the Rivet." That is obviously subject to change, depending on the direction that this thing goes. 

For those that don't know what "Being on the Rivet" means, the title will not have much significance to you. I will do my best to explain.

Back in the day, bike seats had rivets that held a piece of this leather onto the rails. There was no padding. There were rivets in the back and rivets on the nose of the Saddle. 

Generally when you are going as hard as you can on the bike you tend to slide forward onto the nose. Hence the term "Being on the Rivet".  Despite saddles now being made from carbon fiber and super duper outer space technology rivaling that of Tang, we still use the term to describe going all out. 

This is me, more or less, on the Rivet...

There is nothing particularly comfortable about being on the rivet. For one thing you are literally riding going full out with a saddle shoved right up your bum.  You are sitting on parts that aren't meant to be sat on, all the while seeing spots because your heart rate is somewhere near its maximum. But the best part is knowing that the guy on your wheel is hurting and you are the one applying the hurt. That's the fun part..

Part of the purpose of this is to talk about training and give race reports all without subjecting all my friends on facebook to constant updates about yardage, miles, and saddle sores. I'm sure there will also be musings about how good I was back in the day and how all these young guys don't have a clue. Life on the Rivet So to Speak.

The other part is about life in general. Good food, good friends, and this incredible place I'm so fortunate to live in. Life is truly about balance. I definitely enjoy my time off the Rivet.