Life Time Chicago Tri Race Report | Add this race to your Bucket List!

Getting ready to enter the water in Wave #46 with
Female and Male 25-29 age groupers at the 2011
Life Time Chicago Tri!

The 2011 version of the Life Time Chicago Triathlon is in the record books.  I had the opportunity to race it this year, the first time since 1994, and wanted to share my experiences and thoughts in this race report.

About 8500 people competed in the event, including an Olympic distance race (1 mile swim, 25 mile bike, 6.2 mile run), a sprint distance (.5 mile swim, 15 mile bike, 5K run) and even a kids tri.  Taking place in downtown Chicago along Lakeshore Drive, the venue is amazing as you race with Lake Michigan on one side and the cityscape on the other.  Athletes from around the world come to experience the world class event as well as the world class city.

The Olympic Distance is part of the Life Time Triathlon Series, the Race to the Toyota Cup, and is stop number five in the 7-series race. It attracts the very best professional and amateur athletes in the sport as they compete for money and prestige.  The largest in the series with 8500+ athletes, it’s also one of the largest triathlons in the world. (www.chicagotriathlon.com)

One of the many highlights of the weekend is the expo, which takes place on Friday and Saturday at the Chicago Hilton.  One of the largest consumer tri-expos anywhere, it’s a great opportunity to get great deals on tri-related gear and to speak with manufacturers reps and other industry insiders. 

I decided to race Chicago as a tune up for Kona.  Due to some personal issues and nagging, minor injuries, I hadn’t been able to race as often as I would have liked this summer, so this was my last chance to get rid of some “race rust”  before toeing the line in Kona in early October.  I was excited to race again and test the legs in competition.

About a week before the race, I got an email from Life Time Fitness’ PR department ace, KJ, that they wanted me to do a live interview for the local Chicago ABC affiliate at 8:50 am on race morning at the swim start.  This meant that I’d have to be bumped from the elite division start at 7:20 am to wave 46, combining 25-29 yr old men and women, at 9:20 am.  I knew the course would be very crowded at that time and race conditions would change, but duty called and I had to put my own personal race goals to the side in support of my employer.  After all, Life Time Fitness has 9 health clubs in the Chicago market and owns the race series… I was more than happy to contribute in any way I could and do my part.

All bikes needed to be racked before the Sprint race started at 6 am, and that meant you had to have your bike set up and vacate the transition area by 5:45 am.  8500+ bikes in one transition area is an amazing sight to see!  After racking my Kestrel 4000, I went back to my hotel room to relax a bit before my interview was to take place at 8:50 am.

The weather conditions on race morning proved to be challenging. While the temperatures were great (mid-70’s) with clear sunny skies, the waters were very rough due to high winds, which also affected the bike leg.  After my 3 minutes of fame on ABC Chicago, I quickly slipped into my TYR wetsuit and stood in the corral with my wave, wave 46/ Men and Women AGE 25-29.  One of the women looked at me, probably wondering to herself, “What’s this old dude doing here?”, and said to me, “Don’t be rough with us girls.”.  I smiled and then responded politely, asking her not to be rough with me.

Lake Michigan was like a washing machine as waves went off like clockwork every 4 minutes.  At the gun for my wave, I went out pretty hard to try and establish position quickly. The swim takes you along the sea wall, so your spectators can walk by you as you make your way along the course. I could see Jen and Stacy Keifer of Keifer Swim Wear, female overall winner of the sprint race, cheering me on. 

Being in wave 46 was a bit of a challenge for me, as I anticipated it would be.  Even in the swim , by far my weakest leg, I had to swim over, under and through (two head on collisions) seemingly dozens of slower swimmers from the waves in front of me.  It was brutal and I’m sure that, along with the current and choppy waters, did nothing to speed up my swim time.  In any case, it is what it is and I exited the water to run the 450 yd. sprint to T1 where I quickly found my bike among the masses.

The 40K bike takes you on the inner lanes of Lake Shore Drive and is quite interesting.   Most of the road is newly paved, making for comfortable and fast riding, with only a few exceptions and rough areas with potholes.  Contrary to other USAT sanctioned events, here you ride to your left and pass on the right.  Many people on the course followed this rule loosely, and I found myself yelling “on your right”  literally hundreds of times, usually thanking people as they moved over and I rode by.  On a couple dangerous occasions, the rider must have thought I said “move right” and started to nudge me into Lake Shore Drive Traffic … scary.   And once, as I rode past an athlete and courteously cautioned her, "on your right", she yelled after me, “F-you, A-hole”!  I rode away from her as fast as I could!

Stiff cross winds, head winds and weaving in and out of other riders made for a challenging bike ride and I was happy to enter T2 unscathed in about 1 hour. I was also happy to have not witnessed any crashes by my fellow competitors.  I found my rack in the far reaches of the huge transition area and headed out on the 10K run.

It was starting to heat up a bit, but it was still comfortable, especially compared to Tucson weather.  I often wondered what it would have been like to start early in the day with the elite wave. In any case,  I felt strong on the run, but again found myself weaving in and out of other competitors through some of the narrow paths of the run course, encouraging some of the athletes who looked like they were having some difficulty.   I had my heart rate monitor on and was pleased with my effort as I was tagging a steady 5:50 / mile pace with a HR of 165-170.  I also took a moment or two to enjoy the incredible crowds and views of the water and the city… amazing!

Once I crossed the finish line, I was happy with my effort and quickly found Jen waiting for me.  We had a bite in the VIP area, said hello to the JANUS and other Life Time Fitness folks and enjoyed watching and cheering for other athletes finishing on a gorgeous yet challengin Chicago day.  My motor ran well that day, and despite not racing with the elite wave early in the morning, I was pleasantly surprised by finishing 6^th Elite (time adjusted), posting the fastest amateur bike split and 4th fastest run of the day.  Yipppeee, Mission accomplished…. Race Rust is gone!

I want to congratulate the many first timers out there for taking the plunge into the choppy Lake Michigan and finishing the race.  And hats off to the top pros in the race to the Toyota Cup who showed us how fast people can really go.  Well done!

The Life Time Chicago Triathlon is a race that every triathlete needs to put on their bucket list.  Racing in a major U.S. City is a great experience and really makes you appreciate the logistical challenges encountered by the race organizers.  For the experienced triathlete, it’s a great race to challenge yourself against top level competition and for newbies, it’s an awesome opportunity to enjoy a big city triathlon experience.  Put it on your calendar for 2012 and I'll see you there. (Register and get more info at www.chicagotriathlon.com)

Train Smart, 

Coach Troy

Coach Troy is the Head Triathlon Coach for Life Time Fitness. To learn more about Life Time, visit www.lifetimefitness.com. 

Don't Forget the Quality Work - Workout Ideas for your 70.3

IM 70.3 racing blends the need for both speed and endurance.  In many ways, an IM 70.3 training program will resemble that of an Olympic distance one, with the possible exception of longer “long days” and an extended aerobic endurance base period.  In any case, incorporating shorter and faster workouts each week for speed development is a key to IM 70.3 success. Here are a few speed workout ideas for you to try.

Swim Workout

1.2 Miles is pretty darn close to the 1.5K’s you’ll swim in an Olympic distance race.  For most age group athletes, consistent workouts in the 2000-3000 Meter range will suffice. Here’s a good one combining some tempo work for strength and sprints for power.

(All swims are freestyle unless described as ‘choice’, in which you can do whichever stroke you wish.)

Warm up

200 choice

4x50 build @ 1 min.

4 x50 drill (your choice of drill)

Main Set (repeat two times)

200 steady pull w/small hand paddles

4 x 100 steady tempo @ 10 sec. rest

4x50 fast swim @ 20 sec. rest

Cooldown

100 kick w/ board (no fins)

200 choice

Bike Workout

I’m a huge fan of doing quality bike workouts on the trainer. 45 minutes to 1 hour of focused quality work is more valuable than hours of “junk” road mileage, in many instances. Try this workout as your weekly quality session in order to improve your power output over 56 miles.

Warm up

5-10 minutes

3 x 30 sec. ‘hard’ @ 30 sec. rest

Main Set

5x4 min. tempo (choose a gearing to ride at 80 rpms at or near your threshold power and/or HR) @ 1 min. rest

5 x 15 sec. power sprints (heavy resistance and near maximal power) @ 1 min. rest

Cooldown 5-10 minutes

Run Workout

Treadmill training, like bike training on the fluid trainer, gives you the ability to maximize your workout time while also helping to avoid the pitfalls of pounding your body on the asphalt. 

Warm up

10 minutes of jogging pace at 2% grade, then do 4 x 30 sec. ‘striders’ (increase speed) @ 30 sec. rest

Main Set

8 x 90 sec. (3% grade and at 5K pace) @ 1 min. rest

Cooldown for 10 minutes of easy jogging

While these workouts described above are simple, they are very effective and will add the much needed speed development component required for successful IM 70.3 racing as you build your overall mileage.  Give it a try and good luck at your next race!

Train smart,

Coach Troy

Coach Troy Jacobson is the Official Coach of IRONMAN. In the mid- late 90’s, he won several well-known Half Ironman distance races including Eagleman, Vineman and Buffalo Springs Lake Triathlon. Learn more at www.coachtroy.com or for his indoor cycling workout videos, visit www.spinervals.com

My Report: Spinervals Taping featuring Ray Lewis | EPIC!

Wow!  In my 15+ years of exercise video production, I’ve never had an experience like I did this past weekend with the video taping of two new Spinervals Team Sports Performance workouts with Ray Lewis. 

First, a little background.  Ray Lewis (his Official Website, THERL52Group.com) is a Super Bowl MVP and multi-time All Pro linebacker for the Baltimore Ravens who will undoubtedly go to the Hall of Fame as one of the best defensive players in the history of the NFL. Even as he nears the end of his career now in his mid-30’s, he’s still revered as one of the best in the league and is the leader and soul of the Raven’s football team.   Ray’s level of stardom and admiration in Baltimore and with football fans throughout the country is that of a rock star.

I grew up playing football since the age of 10 through my freshman year in college, so I’ve always loved the game and I follow it as much as time allows.  I’ll never forget when the Colts left Baltimore in Mayflower trucks for Indianapolis in the dead of night when I was a kid.  That was a sad day.  I think that if I had not discovered and fell in love with the sport of triathlon, I would have pursued a career as a football coach.

Starting the first workout with Ray at Under Armour.

The story goes that Ray has been using Spinervals workouts as part of his off-season conditioning program and was seeing the results he wanted.  So, when the unique opportunity presented itself to have one of greatest players of the game take part in a Spinervals video project, I wasn’t about to pass it up. As they say, when opportunity knocks, you'd better be prepared to answer the call.    After a few conference calls and meetings with Ray’s business partners and agent, Marc Rosen, we quickly set a date to shoot in July, prior to the start of training camp for NFL teams.  I am humbled by this because a star athlete like Ray can work with whomever he wants.  It's an honor to me that he chose Spinervals and further validates the benefits of intense indoor cycling workouts for all athletes.

The location chosen was the headquarters of performance apparel company, Under Armour (Official Website, http://www.underarmour.com/).  Another incredible Baltimore success story, Under Armour is one of Ray’s sponsors and features him in many of their iconic commercials, including the slogan, “Protect this HOUSE!” 

The casting of the athletes for the videos were handled by a long time friend and former pro-cyclist, Kristy, and her business partner, Greg, a former NFL player and U.S. Olympic Bobsledder.  They recruited some former professional athletes, including former NBA star Gheorghe Muresan and former Baltimore Oriole, Michael Young, in addition to local high school and collegiate team sport athletes (LaCrosse, Football, Basketball, etc.).  We even had a top Fitness Competitor and Raven Cheerleader in the videos to cover more athletic pursuits. And, of course, we had a few road cyclists and triathletes involved to stay true to our roots, competitive endurance sports training.

The day of shooting was flawless, as usual.  My production group included Mark Gambo and his crew at Jomar Productions, Torrence, Nancy and Heather. We have exercise video making down to a science … as I guess we should after 15 years and over 70 titles! J

I had not met Ray before the morning of the shoot.  He arrived with an entourage of people including his fiancé, personal assistant and personal chef/nutritionist.  He has an aura and a special presence about him that is apparent as soon as he enters a room.  People stared as their football hero got ready to mount his LOOK carbon bicycle attached to the green Kurt Kinetic Fluid Trainer as other athletes got on their own bikes or SPINNER NXT's. He graciously and very genuinely posed for pictures and signed autographs before and after the video tapings.

Coaching Ray through a tough set of intervals.

Ray started using Spinervals videos and added cycling to his legendarily intense training regimen about 1 year ago.  He is known as one of the hardest working athletes in the sport, training 6 hours a day, 6 days a week in preparation for the football season.  He likes Spinervals for the interval training, and saw how workouts like them can benefit team sport athletes, typically concerned more with short burst explosive power and speed than with endurance.  In a way, he’s a visionary, and looks beyond traditional training in the Strength and Conditioning field for team sport athletes. He believes that his hard training on the bike has helped his speed, power and stamina and that’s why he wanted to get together with me to let other Team Sport athletes know of his discovery.  Spinervals Team Sports Performance workouts will help take speed and strength athletes to new heights of success and Ray is creating this path.

Once on the bike, I was immediately impressed by his pure athleticism.  Here was a man of incredible speed, size (6’1”, 250 lbs) and strength and during the first set of high cadence leg speed drills, he was smooth and steady, spinning his legs at over 130 rpms.  “Awesome!”, I thought to myself… “he truly does “get it”.   You should have seen how the bike frame seemed to twist and bend at times when he performed high power intervals… frightening. 

The two workouts are about 50-60 min. in duration and feature a warm up,  a technique set, an anaerobic threshold set and a power/speed development set.  A gradual progression, intensity builds throughout the workout.  As anyone knows who does my workouts, I really get into it during the hard sets. I think that comes from my football background where emotions and intensity are so important, as opposed to patience and ‘holding back’, as in endurance sports.  In any event, during the hard sets when I was getting into it and talking about ‘heart’ and ‘focus’ and ‘paying the price to win’, Ray was getting into it too.  He’s a born motivator and we were playing off of each other’s emotions and intensity. His intensity, and that of the other athletes, was incredible and it gave me goosebumps with each hard set.  I felt like I was in the huddle with Ray getting ready to defend a  4^th and goal with one yard to go for a TD in the 4^th quarter.  My adrenaline was spiked so high during those sets, I can’t describe the feeling in words! I hope you can ‘feel it’ when you do the workouts.  Here's a sample video of his intensity on the field, 

Thanks goes out to my long time sponsors and partners, Life Time Fitness, SPINNING, Kurt Kinetic and FORD for their continuing support.  And thanks to Under Armour and GARMIN for their help in making this a reality.  Finally, thanks to the professional team at RL52, including Ray Lewis, Marc, Greg, Kristy and Laura... as well as the athletes who took part in the workouts. Awesome job!

Look for these new videos to be released in Fall 2011.

Train smart,

-       Coach Troy
p.s. for more pics from the video taping, please visit SPINERVALS on Facebook

2011 Ford EDGE: The Ultimate Triathlon Machine | My Review

(Full Disclosure Statement:  As the coach of the IRONMAN Ford Training Team, I was given use of a Ford car during the term of our agreement.  My obligations to them do not include writing this or any review of a Ford vehicle. The opinions written here are mine and a not representative of Ford or any other company or individual. So there.;)

-------

I like cars, a lot.  I'm not sure why really, but I just do and always have.  I bought my first car, a 1972 Toyota Celica, when I was 16 years old and have gotten a new (or used) one every 1-2 years ever since.  I just like having a car that's new to me, drive it for awhile and then move on to the next one.  And much to my financial advisor's dismay, I like driving nice and relatively expensive cars. Depreciating assets are not great investments, as it turns out.  I'm kinda the same way with bikes too.

My parents owned a 5 Series BMW back in the early-mid 1980's, before BMW was the brand it is now in the U.S market.  I learned how to drive a manual transmission in that car, and loved it.  A few years later, a good friend and mentor of mine who was very successful in business and a class act overall, a man with the initials JH, once told me to always drive a nice car because it'll make you feel good about yourself and help you 'raise the bar' in pursuing business and personal success.   When I turned 26 and was starting to finally earn some decent money in the new and growing field of triathlon coaching (when there only around 10 triathlon coaches, not 10,000), I decided to set my bar high and buy my first BMW, a 325is Coupe, Forest Green/Tan with manual transmission. Man, did I love that car!

Since then, I've owned around eight more BMW's, including an M3 (my fave!), a few 5-Series (including a 535xiT ... sports wagon), an X3, X5, an M-Roadster (Zseries) and even an M5.  I used to live in Maryland in the rural suburbs so I could appreciate the power and the superior handling of these incredible machines on the twisty country roads. I loved to drive and would log 15-20,000 miles per year enjoying the "Ultimate Driving Machine".  And no, I never broke the speed limit. ;)

Bottom line is, I appreciate driving a high performance car just like I appreciate riding a high performance bike.  I notice the subtle things that a superior car has to offer and demand them, like the solid 'thunk' of the turn signal stalk, the lateral support of a bolstered leather sport seat, the crisp short throw of the stick during a quick downshift and the muffled airtight sound a door makes when it shuts.

So, when the opportunity to get involved with the Ford Training Team by Ford Motor Company came to me, I was a bit skeptical. I was loyal to my brand (BMW) and wondered if I could get behind the wheel of another car as a brand ambassador and be truly excited to endorse it to people who've I've worked hard to establish a level of trust in.  Decisions, decisions, decisions!

During one of my many trips to triathlon events last year, I had the lucky opportunity to drive the new Ford Taurus as a rental car, for a few days.  This experience was so positive that I realized that Ford had stepped up their game and were making cars that would appeal to people who like to drive, as evidenced by their recent financial success. The hook was set... and I looked forward to getting behind the wheel of a Ford.

I recently received, direct from Detroit with 'manufacturer' tags, a 2011 Ford EDGE Limited... their crossover vehicle the fits nicely in the line-up between the small SUV (Escape) and the larger SUV model, the iconic Explorer.    As soon as I saw it roll off the trailer under the bright mid-day sun here in Oro Valley AZ, I thought to myself, "WOW"!  I am SO impressed and excited about this car, and here's why...

EXTERIOR
Mine came in the Tuxedo Black metallic color with the LIMITED version trim.  This includes 18" chrome clad aluminum wheels.  The stance of this car is incredibly muscular, with a short front overhang, wide wheel wells and long wheelbase.  Add an updated, aggressive looking chrome grill and two large chrome tailpipes, and you've got a very cool (and fast) looking vehicle.   The SPORT package looks even more aggressive, complete with 22" wheels, updated grill, rear diffuser and 4" chrome tailpipes. NICE! (Note to FTT: Please send me a Sports model next year!!:)

INTERIOR DESIGN / TRIM

The value and quality here is unbelievable.  Starting with soft leather seats with contrast stitching (usually seen in cars starting in the $60K range), this car is roomy and comfortably seats 5 adults with tons of storage for carrying wheels, your bike or groceries... or all at the same time!  Options include automatic rear folding seats, automatic lift gate, etc.

TECHNOLOGY
The technology is incredible too... as Ford partnered with Sony to create SYNC, an intuitive and easy to operate command center.  In my car, the trim is piano black with stainless steel (love it) and touch sensitive dials and controls are easy to see and to get to, with ambient lighting  (light blue).  It's ultra modern and looks very clean and technologically advanced.  The rear view camera can be seen through a center oriented touch screen console. The steering wheel has finger tip controls for practically everything, and is wrapped in leather with nice 'grips' for performance driving at 10 and 2 o'clock.     I'd like the steering wheel to be a little bit smaller and thicker, (like the M Sport package in the BMW), but it's more than adequate for everyday driving.

Another great feature of this car is it's size and ease of entry and egress.  The seat, unlike a full size SUV, is just about 'butt height' for most people in the 5'10" - 6' range (i'm 6'), so it's easy to 'slide in' and 'slide out' of the car without hopping up or down.

And the full panoramic sunroof makes the car feel even more open and airy.

DRIVING EXPERIENCE

Sony SYNC console/display

For the kind of driving I do now as opposed to when I lived on back country roads, which is mainly suburban driving in Tucson to the store, shuttling the kids around and driving with my bike (and athletes) somewhere for a ride and sometimes taking a longer trip with highway driving, the EDGE offers a nice combination of performance and comfort. The larger tires help soak up road shock, and the chassis is soft enough to make driving over bad roads comfortable.

The EDGE is nicely powered too with a 3.5L V6 engine and 6-speed automatic transition.  Step on the gas and it moves!  The speed freak in me however would prefer the 300+ HP found in the Sports Package. Gas mileage is good with an advertised 27 mpg highway. I find that I get around 20-22 mpg driving around town at avg. speeds in the upper-30 mph range.

OVERALL IMPRESSIONS
I find myself excited to drive this car, and that's important for me.  A car has to 'inspire' me , and this one does the trick.  Being a new model, it gets prolonged stares from people as they try to figure out what it's all about.

I feel it has a great blend of practicality and sportiness.  For the triathlete, it has ample room to grab a few friends from the tri - club and load up with bikes and accessories for a road trip.  For everyday driving, it's easy on eyes, offers good fuel economy, fun to drive and with the SYNC technology and entertainment package, convenient in every way.

Pros:  Bold styling, incredible technology, quick, good fuel economy, price for value
Cons:  Somewhat numb steering, use of cheap plastic in doors
Price range:  $27,700 - $45,000

I think Ford has done a fantastic job with the new EDGE and recommend you at least give one a test drive if you're in the market for a new car in the crossover category. I've had my eye on a new X5 now for sometime, but the EDGE could very well be "The Ultimate Triathlon Machine" in terms of practicality, technology, performance and most importantly, overall value.

Train Safe,
Coach Troy

Coach Troy Jacobson is the Head Tri Coach of Life Time Fitness (NYSE: LTM), the Official coach of IRONMAN and the coach of the Ford Training Team.  Learn more at www.coachtroy.com

SUPPORT THOSE WHO SUPPORT YOUR SPORT!  Visit mid-west FORD Dealer, Bill Walsh Automotive. Test drive a new Ford Edge!

Insanity... Redefined. The Leadman Tri EPIC 250

"The greatest failure is the failure to try."

- William Ward 

(American Writer, 1921-1994)

Inaugural Leadman Tri EPIC 250 Trophy

Triathlon is a tough sport, no matter what the distance, and Ironman Hawaii has become the standard measure for extreme, one-day endurance sport challenges.  Now, there's a new kid on the block that takes the cake as the ultimate one-day ultra-distance race in which only the toughest survive to cross the finish line.... The Leadman Epic 250 (5K swim, 223K bike, 22K run).  This is a story of my personal experiences at the inaugural event that took place in the Nevada desert on May 15th, 2011.

I'm not 'green' when it comes to ultra-distance racing.  I did my first Ironman-distance race in 1990, the brutally hilly Lake Sunapee Ultra Distance Triathlon in New Hampshire.  So hilly was this race in fact that the run finished at a ski resort.  My second Ironman - distance was Ironman Hawaii in 1991.  The event lived up to it's reputation with the heat and the extreme winds providing the challenge, along with the long gradual 'false flats'.  Baking under the sun on the lava fields of Kona in the Natural Energy Lab portion of the run will always give me nightmares.  I've done Ironman Kona 7-times to this point.

In 2001, I did a short lived race called the Mohican Pineman, in Ohio. This small Ironman distance event included the most challenging bike leg I've ever experienced in an ultra-distance tri. The hills were steep and non-forgiving.  It's no wonder this race disappeared... it was just too hard.

Overall, I've competed at a fairly high level in 15 Ironman-distance events in my 20+ yr. career and in over 25 "half distance" races.  To date, I've never experienced an event as challenging as the Leadman Epic 250.

The concept is interesting, conceived by the Athletic Events Division at Life Time Fitness.  That is, create a one-day event in which just making it to the finish line is the primary goal for most people, focusing on the swim and bike legs and without the demands placed on the body of running a marathon.  It makes sense, because as anyone who trains for Ironman or marathons can attest to, your always walking that tight rope of injury.  This is especially the case for the typical ultra-distance endurance sport athlete who tends to be a little more 'mature', in their late 30's, 40's and 50's.  Now that you have some of the background, let's get into race specifics.

Swim start area, Lake Mead.

The host hotel and event registration was located about 30 minutes (Green Valley Resort) from the race site near Boulder City.  The night before the race, everyone gathered at the pre-race party at a restaurant near the hotel and enjoyed a carbo loading dinner of pastas and potatos.  Pros and age groupers alike attended the dinner.   Tri-Industry vets including Dan Empfield of Slowtwitch.com fame, Jan Caille (Race Director of the Chicago Triathlon) and Seton Claggett, owner of Trisports.com were there as well (Dan and Seton did the half and full distance, respectively). The mood was light, calm and enjoyable.  After all... we were all part of this new experience, and it felt more like and event than it did a race. 

The race started at 6 am on Saturday morning at Boulder Beach in Lake Mead.  With only 49 hardy souls competing in this first - ever event (Full, Half and Relay's combined), the atmosphere was very relaxed.  The transition area included astro-turf and chairs in the changing tents for each athlete. The race announcer was Jerry McNeil, an encyclopedia of athlete information, and he did a great job of adding color to the race commentary.  The pro list included Ironman Champion, Jordan Rapp, one of the top cyclists in the sport, as well as Matt Lieto.  On the women's side, Hillary Biscay and Shanna Armstrong, both former Hawaii Ultraman competitors/winners, were there as well as upstart and top IM 70.3 racer, Angela Naeth and veteran Ironman distance pro, Tara Norton.

The swim began with a mass start of all athletes in both the half and full distance.  The views of the mountains were breathtaking as the sun was slowing rising, and after the playing of the National Anthem, a calm filled the air as we all felt that we were about to do something special.  The canon fired.

Exiting the water.

The lake was calm with water temps around 68 degrees, perfect for a long sleeve wetsuit.  The swim course, dictated by the National Parks folks, was complicated with several turns (almost like a 'Z') and included two loops for the full distance athletes in which you had to exit the water after the first loop for a quick 'medical check' in which they asked how you were feeling before you jumped back into the water.  I exited the water after the first 1.55K (just over 1.5 miles) in around 40 minutes. I felt ok, but knowing that my typical swim workout is only around 1250 yds (or about 20 minutes), I was a little bit concerned about my stamina for the second loop.  I just focused on staying with a good rhythm and tried to maintain my form and must say that I was both pleasantly surprised and happy to exit the water in just over 1 hr 22 minutes.  

T1. 138 miles to go!

In the changing tent for the swim to bike, I took my time and put on socks, cooling arm sleeves sunblock. It was going to be a long day of cycling, so it didn't make sense to be too hurried.  I hopped on the bike and started out of transition up to the main road out of the park... a hard climb to start after a 3.1 mile swim!  I had my new SRM powermeter and JOULE computer installed on the bike, but it wasn't working properly.  I could see only my watts, and I was at 300-320, so I immediately dialed it back to a more modest 250 watts.  139 miles (some people measure 142 miles at the end of the bike) was a lonngggg way to ride.... something I've never done in training or a race! My strategy... have patience... be smart... don't die.

I started eating and drinking immediately on the bike because the energy required for a 5K tempo swim is considerable.  Knowing that I've struggled with cramping in the past, I had over 30 MetaSalt capsules with me, as well as several bars and gels stuffed in my jersey pockets.  

The bike course was beautiful with mostly smoothly paved roads and started off with a slight tailwind in the 'cool' morning as the temps hovered in the upper 70's.  I didn't get a chance to pre-ride the course, but I had heard rumors of the long flowing climbs and descents.  I monitored my output during the gradual climbs using my perceived effort and my power meter... keeping it dialed back below 280 watts and with my cadence in the mid-80 range.  

The bike course was very lonely and challenged your ability to stay focused on this long day. With so few competitors and with such a tough terrain, things spread out very quickly.  Aid stations were a welcomed site every 15 miles or so, as were the USAT Race Officials on their scooters, as well as the race photogs and the few spectators who went out on the bike course to see their athletes race.  Long descents at 35 mph flowed into equally long climbs at 15 mph.  The day was heating up and the winds were starting to pick up as we headed north to the Valley of Fire.

At around mile 60 and now over 4.5 hours into the race, the layers start getting peeled off slowly and surely.  What started out as having high energy and being in a good mood starts to nose dive slowly as the blood sugar destabilizes, the heat picks up and your body becomes generally uncomfortable at all levels.  That, plus knowing that you're not even half way through the bike plays games with your mind. It's time to start digging into your 'suitcase of courage' at this point.

As I enter the Valley of Fire (A state park), I'm so impressed with the beauty of my surroundings but focused on my 'gauges' and keeping myself together.  The first significant climb is about 1/4 mile long at around a 16% grade. I stood to climb as my worn down quads (and very sore knees) barked at me with huge loads of lactic acid burn.  I was burning my matches, and still had many more miles to go in the Valley of Fire with these short but steep climbs before the turnaround.  I saw Jordan Rapp in the lead heading back at this point and was extremely impressed with his riding abilities.  Matt Lieto was not too far behind him at this point, but looked a little tweaked (he ended up dropping out due to 'exhaustion').  

Once out of the Valley of Fire (thank you Lord!), it was back to the gradual false flats and extended climbs.  Unfortunately, the course profile had us going uphill more on the way back... into a stiff headwind!  You see, the slight tailwind in the morning had increased intensity as the day wore on and began blowing steadily stronger and gusting.  I was grinding the uphills in my small ring / 25 going 12 mph and going downhill at times only slightly faster.  Life was not good, especially with a disk wheel as the bike was all over the place.

Temperatures were riding into the mid-90's and I started feeling twinges of cramps starting to happen in my inner quads. I'd been following my electrolyte and nutrition regimen pretty close to plan, consuming my metasalt capsules like Pez and drinking as much as possible, and was frustrated by my body starting to let me down.  I noticed that whenever my power crept over 270 watts on the climbs, I'd start to feel the 'twinge' of a cramp coming on... so I kept my climbing power in the 250 watt range to play it safe.  Turned out to be a smart move.

As the winds picked up even more, I hit mile marker 100 on the bike. It was sort of a sinking feeling knowing that there was another 40 or so miles of suffering to endure before hitting the run.  At mile marker 110, I thought that the Ironman bike would be over in a couple miles.  I hit the 112 mile point in over 5 hours 30 min... my PR on the bike at Ironman Canada, a mountainous course, is 4hrs 45min. Ugh.  The biggest fear I had was going into full-on cramp mode and once your in it, it's hard to escape. I was riding with that fear the rest of the way and slamming 3 metasalts at a time every 15-20 minutes, hoping to keep my shit together until the run.

T2. Glad that's over with!

Once I hit mile 130, I was just pissed off. The wearing down of the day's effort was taking it's toll on me and as anyone who does this stuff knows, you get irritable and a little angry.  I was mad at the wind, the heat, my bike, my legs, the race director for creating this god-aweful bike course and the VP of Athletic Events at LTF, Ken, for 'suggesting' that I do this damn race. :)  I kept it steady and tried to remain focused on my cadence. I finally hit the bike to run transition with a  7 hrs 14 minutes (19.1 mph) bike split. Get me off this f'ing bike!

I was stiff and my knees hurt so much. I felt my age and wondered how I was going to run 14 miles.  I sat in the transition tent and the volunteer did a great job helping me get my run gear on.  I shuffled out of the tent and my left knee forced me to limp/jog out of transition.  I wasn't going to quit, so I wondered if this run would cause me long term damage to my knee.  (My years of playing football and wrestling as a kid through college and then my years of triathlon racing/training have taken their toll on my joints).  Who cares, I thought..."this is Leadman and it's about persevering and getting to the finish line at ALMOST any cost."  The first part of the run out of transition was uphill and about 1/2 mile, similar to the old start out of T2 at the Kona Surf in Kona... for any of you who remember that.  Not fun and I shuffled slowly.

Limping out on the uphill shuffle to Boulder
City

Once up the hill, you go onto a path for the point to point run that ends at the finish line in Boulder City. Again, to add insult to injury at this point, the wind was a headwind as you ran up this gradual uphill grade.  It wasn't super steep, perhaps only 2-4%, but at that time of the day and with so many hours of swimming and cycling in your legs, the effort was significant.  I stopped at the aid stations to take my time and drink while taking my metasalt capsules.  I was so crusty with dried salt, it was unbelievable to me. Fortunately, the cramping situation was still under control.

The run wound up to the Hoover Dam area as we ran through the tunnels on the rocky trail of the out and back portion. The views were spectacular, when I took a second to enjoy them periodically.  After over 8 hours of racing in the heat and wind, I finally had to stop and pee. NOT GOOD! Despite my efforts to consume upwards of 50-60 fl oz / hr on the bike , I was sooo dehydrated.  The dryness of the desert and the winds suck the moisture out of you like as vacuum. It's incredible.

Once back on the pavement and concrete, we continued to wind our way uphill to Boulder City. The uphill grade and the headwind was relentless and it was difficult to really stride out... I'll call it the Leadman shuffle, as it was more of that than a run.  At mile 13, you could look up and start to see the area of the finish line.  Unfortunately, it was up a hill that I thought was just a cruel joke placed there by the race directors and that someone would come up to me and say, "Just kidding! You don't have to run up there... run down this hill instead!".  Nope, most of the final mile was uphill, damn them! I continued to shuffle. My run time, 1:52:31 (8:12 min./mile)

I crossed the finish line in 10 hrs 33 min 24 sec, good for 3rd overall.  It was the hardest race I've done in my life in terms of course terrain and the elements.  

Stick a fork in me... I'm done!

I want to thank my girlfriend Jen, for her unconditional support throughout the day and during my training. I wouldn't have attempted it without her being there.  I also want to thank Chuck (aka Chuckie "V"), a fellow pro competitor from the 90's who raced head to head with me on many occasions, for his support on the course as he cheered for his athlete and winner of the female div. (And 2nd OA), pro Angela Naeth.  Finally, I want to congratulate everyone who had the guts to take on the Leadman on short notice (the race was announced about 8-weeks ago!), and especially those who crossed the finish line.  It was an EPIC Day. Congratulations! 

I'm so proud to be a LEADMAN now. It's a new badge of courage that everyone passionate and dedicated to the sport of triathlon must have on their list of accomplishments.   I hope that you become one someday too.

Best wishes,

Coach Troy

Dried salt on back and shorts at finish line.

For photos, complete race results and other information, visit www.leadmantri.com

Vegas, Interbike and Red Rocks

I'm just getting back from a few days at interbike, the bicycle and endurance sports industry trade show in Vegas. 

Interbike is a great time to catch up with industry friends, show new products, write orders and make new industry contacts.  Almost everyone in the U.S. and abroad who makes their living in the cycling world attends, flocking to "adult disneyland" to work and have fun.

Red Rock National Park, NV

I can take about two nights of Vegas and I need to escape.  On the strip, everything is so over the top, it makes my head spin.  The lights, the people, the music, the food... over stimulation to the basic senses.  While it's nice to indulge yourself a little , too much time can leave one feeling 'blah' and overloaded. 

I've discovered that the best way to cope with the strip for more than 2 days is to get away from it for a ride.  Now that i live in Tucson, I can easily drive the approximately 7-8 hr route with my bike.  My favorite interbike activity for the past couple of years has been to drive out to the Red Rocks National Park and do a 27 mile loop that has some of the most incredible desert mountain scenery!  It's amazing how the strip and everything overindulgent about it fades away when you're on the bike.  Below is a map of the ride if you'd like to give it a shot.



It's so nice to be home and away from the glitz and glam. I'm sure I'll look forward to my next 'vegas' excursion, but you can bet it'll only be for a maximum of two nights!

Train smart,
Coach Troy

Clavicle Rehab Report

Today I went to the surgeon who operated on my clavicle at the Tucson Orthopedic Institute for my first follow up visit post-surgery. He took X-rays and went over my progress with me. Good news! Things are healing quickly and I was given the green light to start running gently! Wooohoooo!!

It's been almost 3 weeks since the crash and 2 weeks since the surgery, so I'm pleased overall. The real drag right now are my ribs. New Xrays revealed two fractured ribs, not just one as originally thought. This is likely why it hurts so much to move my torso or engage my core in doing things like sitting up and breathing! :)

So, to celebrate my progress, today I went out on a very slow and very painful 5 mile run. Every step hurt the ribs and I had to wince due to the pain. It felt like those last few miles in the marathon when you're digging as deep as you can into your 'suitcase of courage' (credit Phil Liggett), but it also felt great to finally get back out and run as opposed to walking, as I've been doing now for a few weeks.

I can also ride the trainer as much as I can tolerate (umm, that would be about 45 minutes!:), so I'm starting to bust a gut and do some tempo work with power ranges in the low 300 watts to start getting my bike mojo back. I might sneak out on the road soon...but don't tell my doctor. :)

Swimming won't be for another 5 weeks as it takes 6 wks for the bones to 'knit'. I have a 6-inch plate and 6 screws on top of the clavicle , and then one screw holding a couple broken pieces together. The doc said it was one of the most challenging surgeries on a collarbone he's ever done! He did a good job and says I should have full range of motion too... so if anyone needs a good doc, let me know.

So, that's my progress report. IMAZ is still in the realm of possibilities for late November, although it'll be sllllooowwww.

I'll be in Madison for IMWI next weekend so stop by our booth in the Ironman store to say hi if you're in town. And good luck to everyone racing this weekend!

Train smart,
Coach Troy

Awesome Multisport Expo in Wisconsin!

This weekend, we at Spinervals Cycling sponsored the Great Lakes Multisport Cycling and Running Expo in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. I was there to be part of and support this second year event. I must say, I was very happy with the event organization and overall experience as an exhibitor and a fan of multisport!

It was estimated that over 4000 people came to the Wisconsin Fairgrounds to attend the expo. A few dozen vendors were there, including wetsuit and race wheel brands, local retailers, various manufacturers and others. Seminars were offered throughout by various coaches and other experts on everything from proper bike fit concepts to swim training technique. On Sunday morning, there was a 5K road race that took athletes over the 1 mile race track at the fairgrounds. I highly recommend you attend in 2011 if you live in the upper mid-west region... it'll really boost your motivation for the new season.

Personally, I really like attending these expos. It's hard work and requires a lot of time away from home (which I hate), but it really lets me 'connect' with our customers by getting some face time, shaking hands and by giving me an opportunity to say 'thank you for using my products', in person. I greatly enjoy meeting folks who use my videos and come up to tell me stories about their training and racing. I also get a kick out of athletes who want me to autograph their DVDs or cycling jerseys... or want to get pictures with me. I'll never take it for granted that my DVDs have had such a positive influence on so many different people for a decade and a half now... it's humbling. Of course, it's also fun when people make fun of my various hair styles and clothing choices over the many years of doing these videos.... NOT!!! :)

I'll personally be at several expos in spring/summer 2010 including:
- April, NYC Multisport World Expo
- June, World Spinning Conference, Miami
- June, Eagleman 70.3
- July, Life Time Fitness Tri, MN
- August, Chicago Triathlon
- October, Dallas Triathlon

I hope that you'll stop by the booth and say 'hi'. Please, just don't make fun of the shorts I wore in Spinervals 6.0... after all, they were in fashion then! :)

Train smart,
Coach Troy

The more you train, the more you WANT to Train!

Getting ready for the Multisport expo in Milwaukee WI this weekend and I put in a solid workout this morning, including a treadmill run of 7 miles and some high resistance / low cadence work on the lifecycle. The legs felt pretty good as I did a set of 5 x 800M 'tempo' on the treadmill, at 800M recovery between each rep. This was the first time to incorporate some tempo work in to my running since my base building period started in early December (including one 50 mile week and several 30 mile weeks of solid aerobic work). The faster running (6 min./mile @ 2% grade) felt pretty easy and there was NO soreness. Even between reps, at 8.2 mph / 3% grade, my heart rate recovered quickly and the running felt effortless. Gimme a big "YOU GO, Coach Troy!!" :)

So, what's the lesson to learn here? After all, the purpose of my training is partially to 'walk the walk and talk the talk' so that I can share my personal experiences in training with other athletes. Here's the lesson:

"The more you train, the easier it is to train and the more you WANT to train." Ah, momentum is a great thing... when it's positive momentum, that is.

That's the double edged sword of endurance sports training. When you start gaining form, you feel better with each workout. On the other hand, when you cannot train (for whatever reason... injury, busy schedule, etc.), it's harder to 'find your groove' when you get back to it, right?

Part of this is due to physiological adaptations to aerobic endurance exercise. The more you train, the more 'revved up' your oxidative enzymes become. That combined with higher blood plasma levels help to make you 'feel' better each workout (to a point). This sort of explains why, during base building periods, elite runners run 100+ miles a week, elite swimmers swim 'doubles' every day and elite cyclists log 3-5 hr days on the bike daily. The physiological adaptations to the volume make them feel stronger, day after day. Again... this can be overdone too, leading to overtraining, so caution must be exercised!

This is also partially the reason why some athletes HATE tapering. They feel overly sluggish and on race day, stiff, clunky, 'fat' and lethargic. That's why each athlete needs to find out their BEST taper method as one size does not fit all.

I hope this all makes sense. I'm looking forward to my morning treadmill workout tomorrow and hoping to get that 'runners high' that only comes with consistency, day after day. Remember, the more you train - the easier it is to train and the more you WANT to train. Ahh, momentum! Go get some!

Train smart,
Coach Troy

Riding in the rain and World Spinning Conference

Back to the routine now after being away for a few days. Isn't it amazing how emails pile up quickly when you don't stay on top of it? If anyone has a secret on how to manage the email thing more effectively, I'm all ears! :)

Weather here in Tucson is a bit rainy with overcast skies and temps in the lower 60's. While not the best training weather, I know some of you would prefer this over having a foot of snow on the ground and blustery winds :). I'll feel like I'm riding in Belgium, getting ready for the spring classics (drizzle, cold, etc.). Today my hope is to get out for a ride, maybe a swim (ugh) and if time allows, a treadmill run this evening. I tell you what... training for racing really helps eliminate 'junk time' from the day's routine! If you waste a minute with inefficiency, you don't get everything completed. I guess that's why the busiest people are the most successful, eh?

In June, Spinervals will be sponsoring the World Spinning and Sports Conference at the Omni International Hotel in Miami! This will be my 3rd year at the event as a speaker and my first as a sponsor. We'll be sponsoring the welcome dinner, one in which several hundred people are expected to attend. This conference is a really great event for fitness professionals and indoor cycling enthusiasts. My hope is to 'bridge the gap' between the indoor group fitness cycling world and the 'indoor cycling for performance on the roads' world. We'll be training SPINNING instructors about how to leverage the 'Spinervals Method' of training so that outdoor riders get the most out of their indoor training. You can learn more about the WSSC 2010 by clicking here. I hope to see you there as we'll have a Spinervals booth at the expo.

Another cool series of events we're sponsoring is the Indoor Triathlon Series at Life Time Fitness. There are over 80 of these 1 hr triathlons (10 min swim, 30 min bike, 20 min run) at LTF centers around the country! I feel that you can get your 'race legs' by doing these short hard races... so if you're near a LTF, check one out... go to www.indoortri.com

That's all for now. Gotta write some programs, talk to some coaches and athletes and respond to several emails before hitting the road for a ride. Have a good one.

Train smart,
Coach Troy