Back In the Saddle

I am finally getting back into training! Monday after XTERRA Richmond I came down with something, but didn't know I was getting sick until the fever and cough hit. Now I am finished my antibiotics, and my lungs are starting to clear and I am feeling better. what a bad time to be sick... I wait all year for this weather! maybe I won't get sick in October like I do every year.. I hope so! At least it kept me from pushing too much with my injury from the fall in the race. I am such a Rock-head about things I would have been training and not giving my body a chance to recover had I not gotten sick. Its funny how your body reacts to things, and how it compensates. I can always notice it in my athletes, but its hard to notice when your body needs rest yourself. 

    No races for a 2 weeks, and then I am doing the Diamond In The Rough Tirathlon in Perryville, MD. this is an awesome event! The bike leg is very hilly and demanding, and also is longer than a standard race at 27 miles. I will be working on the TT bike getting ready for the event. I would like to do a training race or TT before the event as well so I will keep you posted. 

     I am also starting to plan 2010 already believe it or not. In this day and age of races selling out in minutes online, you have to have your major events planned well in advance. This year IM Arizona is November 22nd, and that may be my last IM for a while. right now I am thinking of racing the full XTERRA Cup Series for 2010, and doing 1 Ironman 70.3 race; possibly New Orleans. Plans always change, but for now I think that is the plan. I am going out to ride MTb for a change now so I will post over the weekend. If you get a chance get out and enjoy the weather this is what we wait all year for! thanks for reading...

The Numbers...

Going over the data from this weekend's XTERRA, I found some interesting things. I didn't wear a HRM for the swim, but on the bike my average HR was 157 bpm. That is very close to my 156 bpm average I had at IM Arizona in 2008. The funny thing is that the bike leg for Arizona was 5 hours long! My LT threshold at my last fitness test in February was 167 bpm, so I was 11 beats under my usual HR in a race such as an XTERRA. The run was better, but still 164 is not my usual sustainable effort level in a race; especially of that nature. Its not like I don't know what happened during the event, but looking at the hard numbers sometimes can provide another insight to your performance. This is a good time to realize that things in races don't go as planned. You can train, diet, prepare, and rehearse; but the race is going to take its own course. You may have great luck and have a better than expected day, or you may have a very rough time and not even finish. An endurance athlete has to put even big races with big goals and ramifications behind them in order to have the confidence to continue. Successful racers will take the good and the bad from a day, and use it to improve for the next time. So many times all I hear from racers is the bad and that can be a problem. As a competitive racer I can beat up on myself over and over about so many things in an event from nutrition, equipment selection, and race strategy, to other athlete interaction; but that will not help me become a better racer. As a coach I know that even in the best race with the best results there are things that didn't go well. They just aren't mentioned because of the positive outcome. I try to find something positive in every performance from myself and my athletes; as well as things to work on and ways to improve. This approach may seem unemotional at times, but in the long run it is filled with much more emotion, dedication, and perseverance than having a more reactionary response to the outcome. The overall winner of the XTERRA East Cup had a horrendous cut on his foot pre-race. If you ask Conrad how the day was of course he is going to be pleased and positive with the outcome, but I bet he will remember what happened in the water and do whatever he can to avoid having a problem like that again. That is one of the things that makes him a great champion.
Next time you compete try to evaluate the entire experience, the good and the bad, and don't focus too much on either. Nowadays I am almost embarrassed to talk about the bad things that happened during a race! In the hours and days after the event when you are telling the story, don't focus on just the bad things. Some of the sensational stories are from the bad things, but the good things can make for good entertainment as well. If all you take away from a race is the bad things, the missed opportunities, or the mistakes; it will keep you from being the confident, positive, successful athlete you need to be to perform at your best. Once you see that even on the worst days there are many things that are good, competing becomes much more enjoyable. The next time you get to the starting line it will be easier to remember all those good things from a race that can give you the confidence and toughness you need to make it through the next bad time. One of the greatest things about being a racer is that there is always the next event to have a better outcome. As long as there are races to do, and people that want to push themselves to new levels, an opportunity exists for a positive performance. You can't control many variables that go into a race and an athletic performance, but you can control how you are going to interpret the outcome. Try focusing on those positives and see how much better of a story can be told when you look back on the day; you will be a better racer and athlete because of it!

Ups, and Downs

Today was my first race of the season, 2009; the first of my new direction, and the first XTERRA as a Pro. It was quite an experience! I definitely learned a lot, and had a great time. I also learned some big lessons that will keep me motivated, and learning to be a better athlete. Here is a breakdown of the race:

Swim: This was the hardest swim I have ever done at XTERRA, or really anywhere. the James River was muddy, high, and the current was STRONG. I started OK, but quickly went way downstream with the current because I didn't swim at the correct angle. It was tough! I couldn't really ever get into a rhythm, and was only able to correct my path by standing on the rocks during the shallow sections. I talked to my friend Kris after the race and we both laughed how we were washed down so much that we had to walk up to make the buoy! After the swim I couldn't have been happier to get to T1.

Bike: A lot has changed for me over the past few years. I used to ride my MTb about 3 days a week, and do most of my long days on it. This season I have ridden about once a month until a few weeks ago; it showed! I will always have good bike handling skills; the problem is I have lost my MTB fitness a good bit. I have much more power now, can keep a better tempo, and can ride much longer, but the steep sections and the quick accelerations and pace changes are hard on me. I definitely need work on it and will start this coming week! I was having a good bike split until I got to a section of trail that was darker, wet from dew, and off camber; when my front wheel touched a slab of wet rock I didn't really see I went down... HARD. I high sided, went down off the trail and downhill onto a bunch of rocks. After getting back up and composed I had my chain jammed down under my chainrings against the BB. After getting it out and back on the bike I realized i had a stiff link in the chain. A few minutes later after the repair I was on my way, but couldn't push as much. It was my mistake, and it was pretty much the end of a good split. After riding in to T2 I was hoping for a decent run.

Run: This was my highlight. I have always had a good bike leg, but the run was always my Achilles heel. Leaving T2 I had a few spasms from my fall in my lower right hip and back, but I was moving well. After about 3 miles I was still feeling like I had a lot of energy, and could keep a good pace. Mile 4 and 5 came and went, and after running a little with my friend I just kept an even pace until the finish.

All in all it was a good day. I actually feel lucky because I haven't hit the ground that hard since 2006 on the MX bike which landed me in surgery. I guess someone was watching over me so whomever it was I appreciate it! There were a lot of things I learned today, and a lot of things I see that I have to work on. the good thing is that I can say I ran much better, I got my nutrition right, and I was strong until the finish. I have to work on pushing a faster pace, my MTB fitness, and my swim starts. Its always important to take good things out of a race. People that only focus on the negatives like falls, traffic on the trails, and the competition will never be happy. I will try to take both the good and the bad and make my next race better. I finished 12th, but need to work on all my sports to get into the top 10. Most of all I need to stay off the ground on the bike to maximize my best sport! The best part of today was that Jesus and Elvis didn't make an appearance! I know what I need to work on, and I enjoyed seeing a lot of friends and getting to race! To my friends and crew Andy and Erica, Stan, and most of all my Superstar Mary; thanks so much for coming to support me and cheer me on! I hope everyone had a great weekend, and get out and enjoy the great summer weather ASAP! Thanks for reading!

Pre Game...

Nothing much happened Friday; had an uneventful swim and got ready for the race. I rode the Yeti on the street and made some adjustments. Today, saturday I got here in Richmond at 2:30 pm. I picked up my packet and pre-rode the course. Man it was awesome! It was drier than I thought, but the river is high and some parts of the old course are flooded it looks like. I think they had to re-route a bit on Brown's Island. Anyway, I will post some stuff tomorrow night when i get home; keep your fingers crossed for some good luck and a great race! I can't wait!!! Thanks for reading!

WMD...

Here She is! My new XTERRA machine, a Yeti hardtail! I have been racing on a 29er for a while, and last year in Richmond I rode it in my return to triathlon after 3 years off. I was definitely a "deep dish" version of myself at 169 pounds, and I felt like I had the wrong bike for the job as well. The 29ers definitely roll over obstacles much better, they hold their speed better, and they have more traction in just about every situation; they also are slower to get rolling, and have more resistance with more contact patch. I decided I wanted to give a 26" wheel a try and hopefully it will be the right choice. I prefer to race in the rocky, mountainous terrains where the big wheels excel, but for the fast twisty stuff this may be the ticket. My friend Jes Stith at Gettysburg Bicycle got me the frame and fork, and he is a great source for anything as far as cycling goes!

    I rode the bike yesterday and it was awesome. Very fast, light, and smooth. I will say you have to be on your toes a lot more without rear suspension or big wheels, but that is part of the fun. I think it will be a great bike for the weekend; lets hope that we are able to have a swim at the XTERRA. The James River is very strong right now, and it won't be the first time that it is a problem. Years ago the current and high water forced officials to cancel the swim and have a duathlon. Nowadays I will be OK with that, but sure would love to swim so keep your fingers crossed!

Race Week!

Well it is finally here! It has been a very long Spring, and the XTERRA Atlantic Cup is this Sunday 6/14/09! Its a big day for me because its the first race for me as a Pro triathlete. I have to say I am a little nervous about it, but I also think I can excel at a lot of the things that will be different:

1. I will be leaving in the first wave. I am not a great swimmer, but I have been working hard since I had such a terrible swim at IM Arizona last Fall. I hope to be able to finish with the pack of normal guys. This is important because I will be behind a lot of people after the swim, but as of now 22 pros including me isn't bad. I am usually very polite on the bike and have trouble moving by slower racers; I can really push the bike leg now!
2. The competition will be excellent. A lot of times because of my bike strength, and lack of swim strength I am passing a LOT of riders that are going a much different pace than me. With Pros maybe I can ride with someone and it will actually help me push and have a better bike leg. Sometimes you raise your level to the competition around you.
3. I am an unknown rider. Nobody will know who I am, what my abilities are, or just what I may have under the hood.

4. I am a runner. OK, I said it. I actually feel like I can call myself a runner! Not that I am anything special, but I think I can hold my position a lot better now than any other time that I have been racing. I actually go out to run for "Fun" sometimes now... I know, crazy!
5. I have wanted to race Pro since 2004! I have been waiting a long time for this shot and I will do my best to make the most of it!

It has also been a good year for training for me. Unfortunately I was downsized after FBW was acquired. I have opened my business Sublime Athletics, but I am still building it and have more time to train and recover. I haven't ever been able to get this much time in, and have it be quality with a decent amount of rest. I have been working hard on my running, and when I get my nutrition right I can actually lay down a better time than in the past.
Emotionally and personally it has been a very bad year for me as well, but I am getting along OK and the racing will definitely help me have direction and an outlet. On the good side I am 14 pounds lighter than I have been since 2002.... there is nothing like racing with a more powerful and lighter engine! Speaking of that I will post some new pictures of my new Yeti race bike... it will be finished today!
I will post every day until Sunday, and then will give a recap of the race. I have other plans for this year, but they all start after Sunday. I really hope I didn't lose anyone by not posting in a while; this is a race blog though so its time to get started! From here on out its racing and fun for the rest of the year! Thanks for reading...