Being an Ironman is not just an ability to physically push your body to complete the 140.6 miles, it’s about how we manage the challenges that come our way as we embark on the journey to cross that finish line. Coach Martina nominated this month’s athlete because she recognized that he has had a remarkable journey to get to even the start line, let alone the finish line. She says that being an Ironman starts with perseverance and will power to move forward no matter what life challenges are in your way, and he has demonstrated just that. It’s a pleasure to introduce you to Mark Overby!
He has shown an incredible amount of desire, determination and discipline to beat cancer, and keep focused on staying healthy and never giving up on his dream to one day cross the finish line at an Ironman event. His story is inspiring, and it is an honor to turn the spotlight on Mark!
What is your interest in racing Ironman? How did you arrive at this goal of racing an IM?
My original Ironman interest started way back with ABC’s Wide World of Sports and watching Julie Moss and the famous crawl across the finish line. As time progressed, my interest came more and more from a desire to tackle a challenge and to use the training and experiences to get healthy and stay that way. I’ve never been known to not tackle the big and bad challenges out there.
Where does your experience come from for swim, bike, run (high school, college, after)?
I was a team “collision” sport athlete when I was younger, except for swimming! I swam competitively (the longer distance events) in high school and on the IM team in college. I didn’t take up running, other than our coaches making us run laps, until just about four years ago when I decided to start down this road. Biking was definitely something I picked up more recently too. I did a little mountain biking before, but road biking was pretty new to me.
Describe a little bit of who you are and what makes you go-go-go!
I’m the stereotypical silicon forest computer type. Data drives me! But I’m also sort of a jack of all trades. I’m also a pilot, I love the outdoors, and I love to travel (which could explain why most of my race selections are out of town!). What drives me is seeing the little changes along the way. A little faster here, a little better heart rate there, and just knowing that every step I’m taking brings me a step closer to my dreams.
You were preparing for a race last year, and learned that you had cancer. Can you please tell us how that came to be and what that meant to your training and for the race?
It started out with having the doctors check out my previously surgically repaired ankle and wondering if I was possibly developing some shin splints. After ruling out the obvious, they did a bone scan to see if it was shin splints. At that point the scans showed some unusual bone activity in my lower leg. At that point, we went in for more scans and the diagnosis came back of cancer. Besides the expected emotion hammer with all of the potential ways it could come out, it was clear that the treatment was going to require that we postpone my dreams for a little bit and come back at this from the other side. So, we had to put off racing and focus on the treatment. But, I had a great team of doctors that believed that the more active I could be (within limits) during treatment the better I would come through it.
During your treatment, how were you able to scale your training? Were you able to train?
Training had to be scaled back. Radiation treatment can really slam your energy levels. But the pool was a big help. I was able to swim a lot after we knew that the treatment wasn’t going to affect my skin or such. Running was out because the bones could be weakened by treatment and the force could be too much. We also used the bike as much as possible within my fatigue limits. As treatment went on, we had to adapt to low ferritin levels and let the body guide the effort.
How did you adjust your mind set around navigating a cancer diagnosis and a big race dream?
It hurts, but at the same time – once you get past the initial blow, it becomes an opportunity. Yes, I had to put off my Ironman dreams, but from a training perspective, at the same time, it gave me a new set of opportunities out of this challenge. I got a chance to focus on the swim for a while. And when you stack the cancer diagnosis on top of the other health challenges that happened before I started on this journey – you realize that this is training for the mental toughness that you need for triathlon. Treatment and the diagnosis can beat on you mentally and physically at the same time, but you realize each treatment is one step closer to the finish line and you plow through.
What is your health like now? How are you easing back into training?
The most recent scans came back clean with no sign of tumors! There will be many follow-ups, but the odds are good since I made it this far! The run and some on the bike was definitely lost, so we’re easing back into it with some run/walks and rebuilding things slowly to give the best foundation that we can! It’s time to play the long game and not overdo it trying to come back all at once.
When you get the green light, which Ironman will you race?
I haven’t picked my Ironman yet, but there are several in the mix. Boulder (nothing like having a team to learn from with home field advantage), Maryland, Arizona, and Cozumel are all floating around in the mix. This year will be about rebuilding (“We have the technology!”).
And when you cross the finish line (because you will), what do you want the message/the take away to be for yourself – for anyone else?
Comeback stories are possible! I started this journey, even pre cancer, in an unhealthy spot and the route may not be straight, but you can overcome anything. There is always hope, no matter how small, how far away. And you really do have to take this journey one crazy step at a time. I want to inspire the people who think that they’re too slow, too out of shape, too sick, and think this is impossible – that it really is possible. Everyone loves the comeback – anyone can live it. For me, I want that first finish to be the first of many. This is a life to be lived!
Everyone hears voices, self-talk in the privacy of the mind. Some of these voices can be helpful and some can be irritating, taunting or critical. Fortunately, there are techniques for addressing unhelpful self-talk that are fast, effective, durable and easy to teach. Every coach and parent can help youth athletes learn to manage their self-talk for their sports and scholastic performance, family and friend relationships and their journey through life.
Self-talk is one of three major thought modalities, visual imagery and kinesthetic sensations being the other two. Self-talk is part of how we engage in thinking. Self-talk is one of the most powerful shapers of behavior, for the good or not-so good.
Unhelpful self-talk can impair a youth’s performance in training, racing, school and other walks of life. It can do the same to you. Here’s what you can do about it, and what you can teach your athletes to do.
Think of three unhelpful sayings that come into your head. They might be in an athletic context, a work situation, a home situation or any other context. Write them down. You will need real examples to use on the following techniques. Write them down now. I’ll wait.
The first set of techniques focuses on the quality of the voice and not the actual words. Here are three things you can do and can teach to reduce the negative impact of an unhelpful voice.
Turn down the volume. Listen to an unhelpful phrase from your list above in your mind’s ear. Now, reach over to the volume control and turn it down to the point at which you cannot hear the words anymore, just faint sounds. How did that change your reaction to the phrase?
Change the pitch. Take another phrase from your list. Now, before you say the phrase again, make it inhale deeply from a helium balloon. Now have the voice say the phrase in the helium balloon voice. How did that change your reaction to the phrase? (N.b.—Youth really like this one). You can dress up the voice in funny clothes before it uses its helium pitch for added silliness.
Move the voice behind you. Listen to another unhelpful phrase from your list. Now send the voice to a place about 50 meters behind you, and have it say the phrase again. If the voice won’t stay there, you can leave it where it is and you can run 50 meters ahead of it. How did that change your reaction to the phrase?
These are easy, effective and instantaneous ways of taking the sting or despair out of an unhelpful voice.
A great place to introduce and practice these techniques with youth is during high-intensity workouts at the track or the pool. One of the diagnostic characteristics of working above lactic threshold, in addition to burning legs and rapid breathing, is strong inner dialog. It’s always important, when giving athletes hard sets, to prepare them by explaining what to expect in the workout, why it’s important and what benefits the athletes will gain (Murray, 2013) https://www.usatriathlon.org/about-multisport/multisport-zone/multisport-lab/articles/rehearse-for-defined-purpose-061813.aspx. In addition, you can direct your athletes to practice one of the techniques above before starting the hard sets and have them use the technique during the workout if they need it. This gives your youth a direct connection to managing unhelpful voices when in high intensity mode and automatically transfers to race situations.
Special Case: “I can’t.”
Many athletes fall into a pattern of telling themselves, “I can’t.” “I can’t run fast.” “I can’t do that workout.” Please now think of a phrase that you sometimes hear in your mind’s ear that starts out with “I can’t…” Now, in the air in front of you, write, “I can not.” Now, reduce the size of “not” until it’s just a dot. How did that change your reaction to the phrase?
When athletes get down on themselves.
Sometimes youth’s self-talk focuses on themselves as a person. “I’m terrible.” “I’m a loser.” “I’m a quitter.” When this happens, instead of diminishing the voice as in the techniques above, listen to it and befriend it.
In January, 2015, I was swimming alone at Aquatic Park in San Francisco Bay. The water was cold, 49 or 50 degrees F, with a sharp, malevolent little wind chop. There were no other swimmers and no boats around. As I swam to the harbor entrance, about 800 meters from shore, I distinctly and clearly heard a voice in my head, my own voice: “You can’t swim.” This made me curious, as I was actually swimming at that very instant, and swimming hard, as I was trying to preserve the body heat I felt wicking from my core into the swirling, dark water and thinking about my ice cream headache and the pins and needles in my feet and hands.
So I conversed with the voice: “Hmm, that’s interesting. You know, we are actually swimming right this very second. So what are you trying to tell me?”
The inner voice, without hesitation, rushed out these words: “It’s really cold out here and rough and there’s nobody around and if you get in trouble you are a long way from shore so for Pete’s sake why don’t you go swim along the beach instead of way out here?”
“Hey, good idea,” I thought, and so I said so. And then I said, “Hey, thanks.” The voice replied, calmly now, “Oh, no problem.” And that voice has never come back.
Many people try to manage internal chatter by arguing with it (Ellis, 1997), silencing it (Tolle, 2003) or letting it rage (Marshall, 2015). These techniques don’t work. In addition, hard thinking uses a lot of glucose (Kahneman, 2011) that your athlete would better use in legs and arms, and it deflects concentration from performing to arguing.
Your inner voice has an important and worthwhile thing to say to you, based in its desire to help you (Andreas, 2015). Even when the voice has a nasty tone or the words themselves don’t make sense or are even false (“You can’t swim” while you are swimming), if you treat the voice as though it were another person with your best interest at heart (Andreas and Andreas, 1994), you get better results.
Your Best Friend1. Get the phrase. Think of an unhelpful phrase that starts with “I” such as “I’m a quitter.”2. Ask for positive intent. Now ask the voice, as though it were another person, perhaps your best friend, who clearly has your best interest at heart, “What is your positive intention for telling me that?”3. Wait for an answer, as you would if you were listening to another person.4. Evaluate the response. If you get an answer that makes sense, say thank you and carry on.5. Ask again. If you get an answer that doesn’t make sense, ask again, “And what is your positive intention for telling me that?” Do this until the answer makes sense to you.6. Say thanks. thank the voice and make any changes (such as, go swim close to shore for Pete’s sake). If you don’t get any answer at all, thank the voice and ask what it needs in order to tell you. Often, that will start the conversation.
You can see the youth athletes who are getting down on themselves and engaging in unhelpful self-talk. Their posture slouches, their gaze focuses on the ground about 3 meters in front of them, they mouth words to themselves and they shake their heads and shrug their shoulders, all while inside themselves. When you see this behavior, take the athlete aside when convenient, and ask, “What are you saying to yourself?” Then, when you get the phrase, direct the athlete to ask that voice about its positive intention, just as you did with yourself above.
When the voice feels it has been heard, its job is done and often it will become silent and satisfied.
Special Case: MantrasMany coaches encourage athletes to develop a mantra or chant to help them during their racing and training. A mantra that tries to drown out or shout down other self-talk is doomed. A mantra cannot replace an unhelpful voice, it can only create confusion and inner conflict. Useful mantras, however, can generate the helpful voice that enhances performance. To give your athletes a useful mantra, first address the unhelpful voices as above and then install the useful mantra. Above all, the mantra must be literally true. Mohammed Ali could have a mantra, “I am the greatest,” but unless your athlete is Gwen Jorgenson, “I am the greatest” won’t work. It will only create inner conflict. Your athletes know the truth, and a part of them will reject the false mantra. “Wait, Cheryl is a much better swimmer than I am. And Denise is a beast on the bike. I’m not the best.” The false mantra is a ticket to admission to more unhelpful chatter. A true mantra could be, “I’ve trained hard and done my work,” or “I love this sport.” All parts of your athlete can agree and appreciate with these statements, if true, leaving the internal air space clear and clean.
ConclusionIf the coach’s job is to ensure youths safety, to teach the rules of the sport and the techniques of performing the sport, and to help youths grow into wonderful adults, then perhaps one of the most important, most useful, most helpful things you can do for your athletes is to teach them how to manage their self-talk.
References
Andreas, C. and Andreas, T. (1997). Core transformation. Boulder, CO: Real People Press.
Andreas, S. (2015). More transforming negative self-talk. New York, N.Y: W.W. Norton.
Ellis, A. (1997). A guide to rational living. Los Angeles, CA: Wilshire Book Company.
Kahneman, D. (2011). Thinking fast and slow. New York, NY: Farrar, Straus and Giroux.
Marshall, S. (July 25, 2015). Overcoming your fear of open water swimming. Retrieved from https://home.trainingpeaks.com/blog/article/overcoming-your-fear-of-open-water-swimming
Murray, W. (June 16, 2013). Mentally rehearse your workouts to define purpose. Retrieved from https://www.usatriathlon.org/about-multisport/multisport-zone/multisport-lab/articles/rehearse-for-defined-purpose-061813.aspx
Tolle, E. (2003). Stillness speaks: Whispers of now. Novato, CA: New World Library.
s encourage athletes to develop a mantra or chant to help them during their racing and training. A mantra that tries to drown out or shout down other self-talk is doomed. A mantra cannot replace an unhelpful voice, it can only create confusion and inner conflict. Useful mantras, however, can generate the helpful voice that enhances performance. To give your athletes a useful mantra, first address the unhelpful voices as above and then install the useful mantra. Above all, the mantra must be literally true. Mohammed Ali could have a mantra, “I am the greatest,” but unless your athlete is Gwen Jorgenson, “I am the greatest” won’t work. It will only create inner conflict. Your athletes know the truth, and a part of them will reject the false mantra. “Wait, Cheryl is a much better swimmer than I am. And Denise is a beast on the bike. I’m not the best.” The false mantra is a ticket to admission to more unhelpful chatter. A true mantra could be, “I’ve trained hard and done my work,” or “I love this sport.” All parts of your athlete can agree and appreciate with these statements, if true, leaving the internal air space clear and clean.
ConclusionIf the coach’s job is to ensure youths safety, to teach the rules of the sport and the techniques of performing the sport, and to help youths grow into wonderful adults, then perhaps one of the most important, most useful, most helpful things you can do for your athletes is to teach them how to manage their self-talk.
References
Andreas, C. and Andreas, T. (1997). Core transformation. Boulder, CO: Real People Press.
Andreas, S. (2015). More transforming negative self-talk. New York, N.Y: W.W. Norton.
Ellis, A. (1997). A guide to rational living. Los Angeles, CA: Wilshire Book Company.
Kahneman, D. (2011). Thinking fast and slow. New York, NY: Farrar, Straus and Giroux.
Marshall, S. (July 25, 2015). Overcoming your fear of open water swimming. Retrieved from https://home.trainingpeaks.com/blog/article/overcoming-your-fear-of-open-water-swimming
Murray, W. (June 16, 2013). Mentally rehearse your workouts to define purpose. Retrieved from https://www.usatriathlon.org/about-multisport/multisport-zone/multisport-lab/articles/rehearse-for-defined-purpose-061813.aspx
Tolle, E. (2003). Stillness speaks: Whispers of now. Novato, CA: New World Library.
*This article originally appeared on the USAT website in December 2015
Will Murray is a USA Triathlon All-American, USA Triathlon Level 1 coach, youth-certified triathlon coach and co-author, with Craig Howie, of The Four Pillars of Triathlon: Vital Mental Conditioning for Endurance Athletes. Will is the mental skills coach in D3 Multisport www.d3multisport.com
D3 Multisport is proud to release the video series, “The Triathlon Minute”. Invest 1 minute each Friday and you may learn something you didn’t know.
We’ve all heard the term ‘off-season’, but what does it really mean? Coach Alison helps you better define it in this week’s tip.
D3 coaches have a library of training tips and articles for your reference at D3 U.
From her coach, Mike Ricci: I’m super stoked to introduce you to our Athlete of the Month, Sarah Peltier. I’ve been coaching Sarah for a number of years and right from the get-go, I recognized that Sarah had what it takes to get to Hawaii! She’s diligent about her training and taking care of herself which made the coaching journey very fun. It did take us a while to figure out her ‘formula’, but with her hard work and perseverance she was able to finally punch her ticket. I’m very happy for her and can’t wait to see her on the start line in October ’16!
Way-to-go, Sarah!
________________________________________________________________________
Part I: Ironman Chattanooga in her own words
In 2012 I completed my first full iron distance race, Beach2Battleship. I couldn’t quite wrap my head around the distances. I remember doing my first 80 mile ride + 10 mile run off the bike in training and thinking “Mike is trying to kill me!” And yet I did very well in the race until the last few miles of the run when my mind gave up. I started grazing at the aid stations like it was a buffet and walked the last 6 miles in. I loved the distance and knew I could improve.
I embarked on a journey that took 6 attempts over 3 years to crack the code on Ironman. The focus for me was never 100% on a Kona spot. The math and variability of who shows up on the day makes it so there are too many factors beyond one’s control. My goal was to have a full iron distance race that I was proud of, where I lived up to my potential, and didn’t give up on the run.
It took every one of those races and dozens of shorter ones to learn all the lessons I’d need to be successful. There were little lessons like always bring your wetsuit, how many salt tabs to take, and what not to eat the day before.
And then there were the big lessons. At Ironman Boulder 2014, I was in 5th place AG at some point on the run, but didn’t know it. I thought I was well behind the leaders in my AG. Again, I mentally gave up on the last few miles and let a spot on the podium slip away. In Texas this year, I ran the entire marathon in between aid stations (mental win!), but suffered in the heat more than others.
Chattanooga is where everything finally came together – enough rest, good nutrition, and solid preparation. Chattanooga features a downriver swim, a hilly bike with 4 “bonus” miles, and two sections of 5 miles with steep hills on the run. Due to the unique swim start procedure, I started a full 20 minutes behind the first age groupers. While waiting, my husband was hugely helpful in reminding me not to stress out about those things I cannot control. I jumped into the water and focused on having the best swim possible.
Normally, I race from behind since I’m not a strong swimmer, and so starting 20 minutes back plus losing 12 minutes on the swim meant I was so far behind that I never even saw my AG leaders. Without getting discouraged, I focused on my race plan and nutrition and kept my head down on the bike just like in training.
Heading into T2 I was in 10th place according to the timing chip time, not what I had hoped for. I told myself to remember Will Murray’s “ferris wheel” speech. And one by one, I started to catch people.
I pulled out all the mental tricks I learned to keep moving forward and up and down those steep hills. In the last few miles I even yelled at myself out loud. As it turns out, starting so far behind was likely a blessing in disguise. By the time I physically found the people in my AG, I had long since passed them on chip time. Had that been different, they might have found some extra speed.
When I crossed the finish line, I knew I had delivered the best possible race I could on the day. I had passed 7 people on the run, finishing 3rd place AG and earning a spot to Kona! The experience was hugely emotional, and a relief that I had finally figured out how to race Ironman.
I’m now well into my off-season which means fixing a few little injuries, lifting weights, and planning my big trip to Hawaii next year!
____________________________________________________________________
Part II: Honest Answers to Tough Questions
A. What are 2 take-aways you’ve learned about yourself as a result of this experience?
1. I found success through consistency, time and experience. All those lessons I picked up along the way gave me the confidence and know-how I needed to push myself in Chattanooga. My corporate job keeps me traveling nearly every week away from home in DC. Like many triathletes, I spend a huge amount of time in planes, on trains and living out of a suitcase. Would I have learned all these lessons sooner with a less stressful, time intensive job? Maybe, maybe not.
2. I know what motivates me. I love passing guys on the bike (sorry guys!)! Extra points if they are riding a full disc wheel.
B. Share 3 nuggets of advice with an athlete who is interested in progressing from shorter to longer distances and then qualify for Kona.
1. If your goal is to improve, sign up for races that challenge you in your weaker areas. For me, that was a race like Ironman Texas. It was a non-wetsuit swim and super hot. If your goal is to qualify or win your age group, find a race that plays to your strengths and minimizes the impact of your weaknesses.
2. Success is not guaranteed just by “getting your workouts in” – the rest of your life has to work together so that the training sessions are high quality. In retrospect, there were many times that I should have just slept instead of trying to cram in a swim/bike/run session. A common text to Mike went something like “it’s 10:30 pm, I’m in New York, and just finished 8 miles of hill repeats on the Brooklyn Bridge – should I eat dinner or go to bed? and “Can I count 7 hours of sleep on a plane towards my goal?”
The reality is that triathletes are likely to live in a ‘do everything’ world driven by achievement. It was a very hard lesson for me to learn that sometimes the right decision is “do nothing.” For example, three weeks after Ironman Mont Tremblant I tried to race at 70.3 Worlds with a sinus infection. I was so exhausted I sat down on the side of the road one mile into the run and DNF’d. Mentally crushing and embarrassing at the time, I should have listened to the tiny voice that said, “sit this one out.” Finding the right balance here will of course be different for everyone, but for me I was definitely doing it wrong.
3. Create change! If you are not improving, be honest with yourself and have a coach who is comfortable being honest with you about what needs to happen to improve. Figure out what that is, and then make the change. For example, every time I would hit mile 20 in a marathon my IT bands would blow, which made it mentally difficult to keep running for the last 6 miles. So I focused on building hip and glute strength all winter with a personal trainer, and this season my IT bands held up much better.
In the past 18 months we also changed:
C. Favorites!
Races: Alpes d’Huez log course and Beach2BattleshipPre-race meal: I follow a strict low fiber diet for 10 days before a long race. Night before meal is tofu teriyaki with rice, banana. Breakfast is frozen waffles with syrup, almond butter and bananaRecovery meal: Milkshake!Part of the race: Getting out of the water (same as Greg Lindquist!)Equipment: Power meter on the bike – helps me focus on the effort I know I can produce and sustain regardless of what’s going on around me in a raceWorkout: It’s a tie – a tough interval set on the trainer with Pandora’s Showtek cranked to the max, or a hot summer morning run on the national mall past the monuments and down the Potomac.
As you may have read in many of our September communications, D3 athlete Greg Lindquist won Ironman Lake Tahoe! As a coaching company, we could not be more proud of him notes Greg's Coach and the Head Coach of D3 Multisport, Mike Ricci. That win did not come without sacrifice or challenge, and that’s the true take away from his story. The journey Greg took to accomplish his goal (qualify for Kona) was filled with a dedication that persisted throughout his training and racing. It’s important that other athletes remember that with a vision and a plan, goals are achievable, but sometimes you have to be patient and allow the process to unfold. It’s with great pleasure that we honor Greg as the D3 Athlete of the Month!
We know you will appreciate his story about the journey Ironman Lake Tahoe!
My 2015 season ended on a great note at Ironman Lake Tahoe, but it took a few bumps to get there. Being my third season with Coach Mike (my first and only triathlon coach) we had set out some lofty goals, with the biggest goal being to qualify for Kona at Ironman Boulder in my third-ever Ironman!
The lead-up to Ironman Boulder was great. Since I had a lot of room for improvement from 2014, Mike and I focused on really just being consistent with volume from week to week and we did not try to force any big changes. Thanks to that approach, 2015 started with strong results at Ironman Oceanside 70.3 in March and Ironman Boulder 70.3 in June. Sandwiched between those two was a somewhat disappointing day in the heat at Ironman St. George 70.3 in May, but as August approached we were confident Ironman Boulder was going to be a great race and that Kona was within reach.
Unfortunately, Ironman Boulder turned out to be anything but great. At mile 90 of the bike course, while I was changing my third flat tire, the confidence that had supported me through the season was replaced with unshakable doubt. Doubt that I would even finish the bike course, much less achieve my goal of qualifying for Kona. I just couldn’t shake the thought, “Who qualifies for Kona with three flats?” While I physically made it to T2, mentally I was still out on the bike course thinking about the flats. So I ran hard and I ran angry. Maybe that works in a 5K, but not in a marathon. My day ended at Mile 19, my head spinning, and my first and hopefully last “DNF” of my career.
There was no way I could end the season the way I ended my day in Boulder, so that night I signed up for Ironman Lake Tahoe in late September. It was a no-brainer because the altitude is a little higher than Boulder, the bike course is tough, and the run course fits my strengths. More importantly, Lake Tahoe was one of the few Ironman races still open.
I had seven weeks to get my body, and my mind, ready to go again. I thought often about my Boulder race and still cringed thinking about the DNF. But I forced myself to focus on all of the positives instead of the negatives and I started to feel that confidence again. I can’t really explain it, but in the few weeks leading into Tahoe I kept visualizing crossing the finish line and grabbing the banner for the overall win. Keep in mind that I had only crossed an Ironman finish line twice in my life, just DNF’d in my last attempt, and had never won even a small race, much less an Ironman. But somehow the possibility of winning it all in Lake Tahoe seemed so real.
So by the time I hit the start line in Lake Tahoe, I was ready to go and confident. The race went just like it does for everyone. I had some great patches and some dark ones. I had some times of confidence and some times of doubt. But when I moved into first place overall at mile 8 of the run, I knew that I wasn’t going to give it up. So when I crossed that finish line in first overall (albeit only by 29 seconds), it was the most surreal feeling I have ever had in my life. It felt like I had done it before. I honestly don’t even know how to explain it any better than that.
____________________
Question and Answer with Greg.
What I have learned about myself through this experience:
I learned that consistency, not huge volume, is the key. We were definitely on the low end of volume as far as Ironman training goes, but we were consistent with training from the winter through the season. Mike was great in adjusting my plan when things came up or when I missed workouts (sorry, Mike) but we minimized the drop-offs in training and tried to keep on task without worrying about hammering the volume.
I learned that a change in my mental approach to racing may have been the biggest ‘X factor’ to my season. All the training and gear in the world isn’t going to amount to much if you don’t truly believe in yourself when you get to that start line.
Most importantly, the win in Lake Tahoe reminded me yet again that I have the most amazing support crew, starting with my wife Liz. I look up to her in so many ways and she deserves more credit than I could ever explain. Then of course huge thanks to Coach Mike and the rest of D3 as well as my training partners like Brian Lambert.
Three pieces of advice for moving up in distance to Ironman in an effort to KQ:
Never, ever put limits on what you think you can accomplish. I know it sounds cliché, but it is so true in so many ways. Everyone reading this has the ability to achieve some amazing things in this sport, but it starts with getting your mind right first and then the progress will follow.Set big goals but be patient. 2015 was my third season with Coach Mike. The first two years we focused on fundamentals and raced primarily shorter distances leading up to 70.3s. Only later did we get to the point where I had the tools necessary to be successful at the Ironman distance. Surely you can focus on Ironman-distance sooner than that, but be patient with your progress.
Don’t let the highs get too high or the lows get too low. My old hockey coach used to say that all of the time, and it’s great advice. I was down mentally for a couple days right after Boulder. But, as much as I wanted to qualify at the time, I would never trade it for the success that I later achieved in Lake Tahoe. So in a strange way, my DNF at Boulder ended up leading to one of the greatest things to happen to me so far in my triathlon career.
Favorites:Race: St. George 70.3.Pre-race meal: pizza the night before and 2 bagels and a banana the morning of the raceRecovery meal: either pasta and sausage or carne asada tacosPart of the race: getting out of the waterEquipment: my 2011 Felt B12 bike. Not the flashiest but gets the job doneWorkout: weekend bike ride up to Ward and then down and out to Hygiene for some Magic Bars and a Red Bull. Finish it off with a few running miles on the Boulder Creek Path.
P.S. That’s Dave, a member of Greg’s support team!
Our September Athlete of the Month, Darci Axmear was nominated by her coach (Martina) because she has learned to trust her training and her body. And that translated to her performance during the Pigman half IM where the weather was extreme (100 degrees), but Darci stayed calm, stuck to her plan (despite challenges with nutrition) and finished strong! Mental toughness is a key to success in long distance triathlons and she has learned to control her mind rather than the other way around. And to a coaches delight, Darci is extremely dedicated, analytical and enthusiastic which makes her not only an Ironman at the finish line but an Ironman in training as well. Martina notes that Darci’s journey is absolutely that of an Ironman with an Ironwill!”
We asked Darci to share her story about ‘Why Ironman’. Enjoy!
When I am asked, “Are you all about the destination or the journey”, I respond that I am all about the destination. It’s all about getting there. This is the perspective I hope to change by signing up for an Ironman. I want to challenge myself beyond what I think I am capable of and enjoy the process along the way. I am very analytical and I love the technical aspects of triathlon. I love the gear, the gadgets and the way the human body is able to adapt to stressors and come back stronger. In order to realize this, I have had to slow down and focus on the journey and not just on getting there.
My motivation for doing an Ironman is two fold. First, I hate cancer. Too many of my friends and family have been diagnosed with this ugly disease.
I train for them. They didn’t choose this diagnosis, but what they did is teach me to be strong in the face of adversity and push through the pain. Traits that come in handy when training for an Ironman. Second, I needed a goal that was bigger than myself. I decided if my friends and family can persevere through a diagnosis like cancer that they didn’t choose, I can certainly race 140.6 miles on my choice. I can stop at any time I think the pain is too severe. They didn’t get the choice to stop and it is for them that I get up every day knowing “I chose to” swim, bike and run.
Some friends and family think I am crazy. Some days I think they are right! Other friends consider the commitment and sacrifice required to train and race an Ironman and cheer me on. I chose Ironman because I want to push myself to beyond what I ever imagined possible. I can remember at the age of seven watching NBC’s Wide World of Sports coverage of the Ironman triathlon in Hawaii. I remember thinking how cool it would be to race an Ironman, but the thought seemed an entire world away. Fast forward to 2015 and what I thought was impossible then is coming true now.
Growing up on a farm in rural Iowa, my parents taught me the value of hard work, consistency, discipline and commitment. We were taught to get the work done first and then there will be time to play. Do things right the first time, so that you don’t have to repeat them. When you make a commitment to yourself or someone else, follow through. I carry these lessons with me every day no matter where I am, regardless of what I am doing.
My greatest weapon is my mental toughness. I recently raced the Pigman Long Course 70.3 in Iowa and by the time I transitioned to the run it was 100 degrees with little to no shade. I didn’t let negative thoughts enter my mind, I stayed calm and stuck to my race plan. I knew I couldn’t control the heat, but I could control how I managed it. I made sure I stayed hydrated, continued to consume calories and thanked all the volunteers. This allowed me to focus on something other than myself and the heat and discomfort I was experiencing.
I learned a lot during that race. First, control what you can and let the rest go. Stay committed to your race plan, but adapt as necessary. Last but most important, have fun. After all, this is something I chose to do.
I have several goals for Ironman Arizona. The thing I most look forward to is the thrill of hearing Mike Riley say, “Darci Axmear, you are an Ironman”!
The last time I raced a USAT Nationals was 2003. The races were well run back then, but could not compete with the atmosphere of the Ironman events back in the day. After a weekend in Milwaukee at this year’s Nationals, and it’s Ironman that has some catching up to do in my mind.
Part of it was Milwaukee, but by no means all. The venue was exceptional. I suspect that some of the IM venues in Europe rival the fun of racing in the middle of a big city like Milwaukee, but none of the NA events are quite like this weekend. Even Boulder, which is an awesome location, does not have everything happening in the middle of town (it helped to have a lake downtown). A huge part of the event success was the atmosphere and organization. It was first class!
I missed out on the excitement of Kona this year (12x finisher!), but I did volunteer and watch the Boulder IM and had athletes racing in Canada, Arizona, Boulder and Chattanooga in the past year as well as a number of friends. I also raced in and had athletes racing in shorter events around the country. Looking at the faces of finishers in local races and at Nationals got me thinking why do we, the general public and many triathletes, feel that completion of an Ironman event is a mark of some extraordinary achievement and other races, while impressive, really don’t count much.
Consider this. Is this year’s male Ironman World Championship achievement more significant than his Gold Medal in the 2008 Olympics? Olympics are only once every 4 years and most athletes are at the peak performance in their lives for not much more than 4-6 years. So timing to reach your peak only comes around a few times. I think the Gold is more impressive.
Is anyone who decides to make a significant change to their health and fitness, and set out to not just finish, but finish well in a Sprint or Olympic race, and race at the National level any less inspirational? Here is some of the inspiration I got from the USAT Nationals this year.
Milwaukee The top men were running 33-36 10k with bike speeds over 26mph with even faster pacing in the sprint. The top women rode a bit slower, but Olympic winner Abby Levene (Boulder resident) was right up there with her male counterpart when she got her running shoes on, they went 34:53 and 33:47 respectively. The winner of my AG (65-69) in the sprint ran a 20 min 5k. If that was not enough we had 78-year-old Sheila Isaacs, a friend, winning the sprint and 85-year-old Winston Allen winning the 85+ category followed by 91-year-old Robert Powers. Winston swam 19 min, biked at 15mph and ran a 14 min mile. When Robert got on the stage I realized I had a good 20 more years in the sport.
Sheila incidentally set out in her late 50’s to race in a triathlon in every state of the Union. She finished that quest in grand style in Kona, in 2004. If you want to read more about Shelia go here.
Following are some other stats from the Olympic Nationals. To finish in the top 20% of an AG you would have had to go approximately under:
I did not list all AG because I think you get the idea, the performances are impressive. Can you complete an Olympic course (Nationals bike had a few short climbs, but was generally quite flat, the run was flat) at these speeds? This is no tea party!
Another way of looking at this is Ellen Hart, a very well known 55+ Colorado athlete finished 4th at Nationals and won her AG in Kona. The run course was too short for her always fast run splits.
So why do we put finishing an IM in such high regard? Ironman got its name by chance from the wonderful crazy Navy Seals in Hawaii who dreamed up the first competition. I don’t think any focus group has ever came up with such a perfect brand name. It also helped that the Championship evolved in Paradise, at least as far as a destination is concerned.
That brand name is polished hard every October and a marketing juggernaut has evolved over the years. Swimming, biking and running 140.6 miles is not enough in the minds of many, it has to be an Ironman branded event. But, I think many would be well advised to reset that thinking. You can just finish an Olympic or Sprint Tri as many set out to do when they tackle an Ironman, or you can set some serious goals to start moving that PR steadily upward in shorter events.
Doing that does not require the massive amount of time and resources it takes to tackle an Ironman. You can train and spend a good bit of the weekend with your family friends and kids! You do not have to drive yourself nuts, and those around you, as you make every second of your day count. Most importantly you are not stressing yourself so much that you are putting your health at risk.
And, when you do get to race at the levels I have been talking about, and you still want to do an Ironman, you may find yourself qualifying for Kona much easier than you might imagine. Shelia did on her first attempt!
Coach Simon Butterworth believes winning does not have to mean being first. It was never more clear to me than Hawaii 2009 when circumstances conspired to put me out on the run with many for whom winning was just finishing. Being first in a triathlon is great for the lucky ones. I have been lucky at times, but “winning” for whatever reason can be just as much fun and many times even more rewarding. So my goal for anyone I coach is to help them win!
1. Know your sweat rate. You can’t have a successful plan without knowing how much fluid you need to stay hydrated.
2. Know you need carbohydrates during intense exercise. ACSM suggests an adult can oxidize 60 grams of carbohydrates an hour and that should be your starting point when engaged in 60 minutes or greater of exercise.
3. Know to drink water when using energy gels. Gels are basically concentrated sports drinks. To limit possible stomach problems during exercise be sure to drink 10-12 fl. oz. per energy gel to properly dilute it.
4. Know you need to consume protein and carbohydrates after a workout. A good principle to remember is to consume a minimum of 1:1 carbohydrate to protein ratio post exercise. A good example of this is chocolate milk.
5. Know you need to always practice your nutrition plan during your training. Do not try anything new on race day that you haven’t tried during your training. It’s the golden rule! Also, as you practice your plan, you’ll be able to know what needs to be tweaked to enhance your performance.
Nick Suffredin is a former scientist at the Gatorade Sports Science Institute (GSSI) where his primary responsibility was to support the GSSI physiology research program. Areas of research Nick has been involved in included muscle recovery, athletic performance, carbohydrate metabolism, rehydration and dehydration, stress testing, body composition, gastric emptying, sensory perception, along with aerobic and anaerobic performance testing. Nick’s expertise has been included on human performance advisory boards to improve and ensure quality exercise programs as well as clearly communicate nutritional assessments. Nick has formulated nutritional products for companies and consulted with elite endurance athletes on their nutritional intake for training as well as fueling for races. Learn more about the D3 Race Day Fueling program.
I want you to jump right in and read Jake’s story – it’s good – it’s really good! His coach (Dave) nominated him for all the reasons you’ll read about in his story below. Coach Dave recognized that Jake accomplished his goals while deftly balancing his life — he is a husband, a father of two small children, and a rocket-scientist (he literally sends stuff into space and just above is a picture of him at work). And as his coach, Dave could not be more excited to nominate Jake Lewis for D3 Athlete of the Month!
Know this, Ironman finishes don’t come easy, they are often hard earned, they are filled with twists and turns as well as unexpected compromises … and Jake knows this well.
Does he get to an Ironman finish line? Read his story!
Introducing our August 2015 Athlete of the Month – Jake Lewis!
For all of us, Ironman is a journey, not a finish line. While I knew that when I started, I was surprised by just how much I had learned and changed by the time they handed me my finisher’s medal at Ironman Boulder 2015.
My journey started in 2013 when I decided to race the inaugural 2014 Ironman Boulder. I had completed Ironman Wisconsin in 2012, my first, and was anxious to get back to it and put out a big PR. Wisconsin had been a great first race for me, but I had come apart in the second half of the marathon and I was sure I could do better. My wife and I talked about the sacrifices that would be required so that I could prioritize my training and agreed that we could handle that, our careers, and two small children. Go big or go home! We managed, it wasn’t easy, but I had a big goal and my whole family understood and wanted to see me succeed.
Race day came in August 2014, and all went according to plan; swim split, bike split, all exactly on schedule. I hit the run feeling strong and confident, running is what I do best. Then it all started to come apart. By mile 13 the heat and dehydration were taking their toll, my stomach was rebelling against food and even liquid. I was still on pace, but feeling lousy, this was no time to let up, I had worked way too hard for this big PR. I pushed myself for five and a half more miles before I collapsed. My trip to the finish line was taken in an ambulance. Sitting in the med tent, listening to Mike Reilly call out “You are an IRONMAN” the realization hit me like a ton of bricks. DNF. The possibility had never even crossed my mind, that time goal had been all encompassing, it never even occurred to me that I wouldn’t be able to finish. Sitting at home that night I realized that I could not finish my season with a DNF. I spent all of 24 hours considering what I’d do and decided to sign up for Tahoe in two months and Boulder again the following year.
I took a bit of recovery time, then got in a few solid weeks of training before Tahoe. I tried to keep my expectations reasonable, it was a tough bike course and I really didn’t know how I’d do on it. I was going to play it safe, all I really wanted was that finish line. I flew out with a friend who was also racing and as we got into town there was smoke in the air from a forest fire in the area. The race briefing was heavily clouded in smoke, but the forecast was that the wind would shift and the smoke would blow out. We got up race morning and it was smoky near the hotel, but once we got to the starting line all was clear. We suited up and headed for the starting line. Just as the gun was about to go off, the announcer came on the PA, race cancelled.
I was really disappointed, but I felt terrible for the first timers, and everyone who had trained so hard for THIS race. After all, it was just my fall back race, it wasn’t so bad for me. That was a lie. I was crushed. When you devote so much of your life to this sport, it becomes a big part of your identity and your self-confidence. It was a very dark winter for me.
Finally, in the spring of 2015 I started training again. The winter had changed me. I was going to do this Ironman, but forget PRs, I needed more balance in my life. Early in the winter I fell while running on some ice (I was on a family vacation skiing, something that I normally wouldn’t risk) and sprained my wrist, I was unable to swim for a couple of months. As my wrist started to heal up I was trying to cram in a tempo run before picking my son up from his swimming lesson. I was worried about finishing my loop in time and even though my calves were tight I had to keep pushing. Twang, I pulled my calf muscle, but had to keep running through to get back. After 6 weeks of recovery I finally felt healed enough to go for some tentative runs, I pulled it again immediately.
Boulder 70.3 rolled around and I had barely done any running. I expected a lousy race and was trying to manage my expectations. I was determined that I was just going to have fun. I got a flat 5 miles into the bike ride and changed that. Twenty miles later I dropped my chain and it caught in my spokes and ripped out of my derailleur. I didn’t even know that was possible. Miraculously I was able to fix that and got back on my bike. It didn’t matter, I wasn’t worried about my time and I didn’t stress over it. I was going to have a slow race and just have fun. As I got to the run I took it easy, worried about my calf, I’d barely run on it all year. I goofed off and made motorcycle sounds as I ran (slowly) up hills, I said hi to everyone I knew, I smiled as much as I could. As I ran to the finish I looked at my time, 10 minutes slower than my PR. I’d spent over 12 minutes fixing mechanicals. Hey, that was basically a PR finish! I’d had my slowest ever run time, but otherwise it had been pretty good. The prior year I was upset when I missed my goal time by 4 seconds, this year I was thrilled with my performance, it’s all about attitude. Two weeks later I pulled my calf again.
By the time I toed the line at Ironman Boulder I had managed only a single quality long run all year. I was pretty sure that I’d be able to finish the marathon, but I didn’t think I would manage a good time. The swim was “wetsuit optional” which made the start chaotic, but I managed through it. I started the bike, knowing that if anything was going to really go well, that would be it. I had lots of friends out on the bike course and I looked for each of them, sat up, waved and yelled ‘hi’ and took the time to appreciate how lucky I was to have so much support. I felt good on the bike, kept my power in zone, maybe a bit conservative, and my speed was turning out well. I finished the bike almost 25 minutes faster than I expected.
As I exited T2, I started doing the math. I could run an “easy” marathon and hit my goal time from last year. I hadn’t been running much, but running is what I do really well, I was sure I could do that. I was so surprised, so relieved, I started getting choked up. I settled into the run, conservative but moving along. Ironman is never easy. By mile 20 it was starting to get harder, my stomach was not very happy with me and I didn’t want to eat anything, or really drink much. I continued to push in a little bit of nutrition, but at that point I knew that I could make it. As I made the final turn toward the finish line, the only part of the looping course that I’d never run, I was overwhelmed with emotion. My family was standing near the finish, I stopped, I hugged my wife and kids, and then I headed down the chute.
As I crossed the finish line I raised my arms in triumph! I had tried my best, but wasn’t expecting a stellar performance, I just wanted to get to the finish line and feel good about it. I’d strived for more balance in my life, tried to enjoy the journey. I’d been a little sillier, spent more time playing with my kids, relaxing with my wife. I hadn’t focused quite so much on my training, I’d gotten injured in part because I was allowing other things to be important in my life that I hadn’t the year before.
In the end, I finished 15 minutes faster than my goal the previous year. I never would have thought that was possible. I learned that balance is important, attitude is everything and to enjoy the journey.
A few years ago, I attended a conference for strength and conditioning specialist coaches and trainers. The keynote speaker, a nationally recognized physical therapist, coach and business owner spoke about “training the endurance athlete.” What was really interesting, is that this particular coach was never an endurance athlete, much less a triathlete, most likely he had never run over a mile at one time in his life. However, he understood the demands of our sport, much like any other sport and most importantly, he was able to speak with clarity about endurance training. A few statements from this talk (in 2008) still stick out in my mind:
1. Athletes Train->Leads to Injury-> Leads to Rehab/PT->Leads to Training->Leads to Injury (the endurance cycle is the same as the injury cycle)
2. The endurance athlete conversation goes like this: “Are you training?” Answer is always – “yes” or “no, I am injured” or “well, I just got over (some injury) and I’ve been running in the pool…
3. All non-traumatic injuries are training related, all “itises” are do to overuse, if you didn’t fall off something or get hit by something, you did it in training.
4. Endurance athletes are fueling the PT’s, Chiropractors, Accupuncturists and Manual Therapists of the world. What these athletes need is some “Reality Therapy.” Does it hurt is a yes or no question. Any answer other than a no is a yes (not, it feels better once I loosen up or warm up, or only at the end of my workouts)
What was so compelling to me, is that as an endurance athlete AND a strength coach, I understood and AGREED to all of the above statements. Heck, I laughed along with the crowd during this talk- how could endurance athletes be so stupid that they won’t change their behaviors that lead to injury? However, just like many other endurance athletes, I shared in the cumulative injury cycle.Here’s the thing- we can’t change our personalities, we are endurance athletes because we love the sport, the challenge, and the excitement. So, what should we do?
1. Change our training: Instead of high volume with high repetition, think about focusing on interval training. After all, research shows that intervals develop aerobic capacity better than low aerobic training.
2. The fastest way to raise your VO2 MAX is through interval training, not long slow distance.
3. Less steady state long work. Athletes will see greater results with 20minutes of interval training (very high intensity) versus 90-120 minutes in lower HR zones.
4. Bottom Line: Endurance Athletes need to build a base of strength, just as they build a base for run, bike and swim training. Too often coaches and athletes forget that running is a highly plyometric skill that requires full hip extension, core strength, hip drive and ankle mobility. Yet, how many athletes are out there running with absolutely no strength? Endurance athletes need to work on stability to achieve the best strength gains. These strength workouts should be designed by a coach who has the knowledge about lower extremity training. Most “running programs” advocate for strengthening the upper body- but it’s the lower body and core that need the strength for running and cycling! Lower body lifting is key.
In summary, how do we overcome injury? Well, the factors that contribute to the injury are clear. First, we need to take a step back from training, look at the issues and causes of the injury. Then, we need to take appropriate steps to clear the injury- rest, ice, physical therapy, rehab and strength work. Then, we need to continue with strength work, corrective exercise and mobility exercises in order to avoid the same injury or any new injury. Most importantly, we need to adjust our attitudes to realize that we only have 1 body to live with. No race or training event is more important than preserving our bodies health. There will always be more races and more opportunities. The sooner you realize and accept this, the faster you will be on your way to a healthy training and racing lifestyle!
Still on cloud 9 and enjoying it!
Don’t Quit
Simon has known me for some time now. He taught me to swim and if you ask him, he will tell you I was his most remedial student. In 2009 I met Simon at the Longmont YMCA where he was doing a clinic for folks doing their first triathlon. I had signed up for Tri for the Cure as my friend had just been diagnosed with an aggressive form of breast cancer. I hired Simon after the clinic to teach me to swim as it was evident I couldn’t even swim across the pool. He wanted to know my goals and when I told him ‘to finish’, I am not sure he fully understood I was serious. He talked me off the ledge after my first open water experience and wrote my training plans. On August 2nd 2009, I completed that race and I was hooked.
I have always watched the televised coverage of Kona for as long as I can remember. Some of my heroes in triathlon being the Hoyts and Jon Blais. About 4 years ago I had the thought of doing 70.3 but I wouldn’t speak it out loud for another 2 years. I had never run that far and didn’t know if I could. I called my best friend and said I wanted to do a 1/2 marathon. So in 2013 I dressed as Snow White and ran the princess 1/2 marathon. Check, I could do that distance.
I talked with Simon last fall and so the journey began with D3 and Simon. I was afraid, as I have been the queen of panic attacks in the water and I really didn’t know if I could this. So many things to distract from training, husband’s incredible travel schedule for work, being an engaged mom of an 8 and 9 year old, working at the university, lice outbreak, horrible leg injury…but the worst was my own mind getting in the way.
In December, D3 sent an offer to their athletes to meet Will Murray and that changed so much in my training. When most folk’s stand at the start line, they may be excited or nervous, but for me, it was the overwhelming sense that I did not deserve to be there. Not for lack of training or desire just the voices in my head told me I had no business being at the start. I was intimidated by everyone. Turns out that 4th discipline in training, the mind, was my own worst enemy.
After meeting with Will so much changed, we acknowledged that voice but politely disagreed with it, and worked through race starts and the panic attack problem. My first race this season was in May, the HITS Olympic distance in Grand Junction. It was my warm up to IM 70.3. I had the most incredible leg cramp as I stood up to get out of the swim. It threw me back in the water. I got on the bike thinking I was going to have to DNF the run as the cramping in my leg persisted. I got off the bike had lots of trouble walking, but thought I’d start the run. As the last folks passed me I knew I was going to be dead last in the race. I knew I could DNF with justification or I could finish the race and own being last. I chose to finish! It was mentally the best thing I had done. It showed me my toughness and got that fear of “being last” checked off.
Saturday June 13, 2015, Ironman Boulder 70.3 was here. Like most, I was nervous but not to the point I wanted to lose breakfast. I was worried about time cut offs. Will had encouraged me to have a short mantra, mine was “Don’t Quit”. I warmed up, got in my swim wave and prayed for peace. My husband had seen many races and was surprised I was in the middle of the group of women in my wave when the swim started. The gun went off normally a time for a panic attack but none; I was swimming in the pack. Since I am slower I got spit out the back, but no panic. My swim cap wanted to pop off, but no panic attacks and a kayak even hit me. Out of the water and onto the bike.
Since I was the last wave I was out there on my own. First aide station was trying to figure out how those Gatorade bottles could
be emptied into my torpedo bottle. One volunteer tried to help and an entire bottle of Gatorade was now on my bike, my shoes and handlebars. So I rinsed off the bike with a water bottle and off I went. My Garmin died around mile 30 so I had to find ways to keep myself motivated to keep riding hard. It was lonely out there. I got into transition – I had made the second time cut off.
I started the 1/2 marathon, and as I came out onto the course I saw Will finishing. It was hot, and I had not trained in that kind of heat. I normally run 7 minutes walk 1 minute but after 10 minutes I knew that wasn’t going to happen. Since I was starting to get spacey I decided to run 1 minute walk and 1 minute and was religious about it. I was also religious about putting ice down my front, back and pants at every aide station. At mile 4 I rolled my foot in a rut in the road, but couldn’t think about it as I had 9 miles left. Simon and my husband were out near the turn around on the run course cheering for me. I never had the thought of not finishing just getting that medal. Then it happened, after 8 hours and 13 minutes I heard my name as I rounded the corner. I was an IM 70.3! I cried like a baby. I still can hardly believe it. I wore my medal to the restaurant Saturday evening and to bed that night.
So a big huge thank you to so many…my family, my friends who trained with me and cheered for me, Simon, Will and D3. Will I do it again? I will decide that later, for now I am enjoying a break.
Last fall I was making a batch of Rice Krispie treats for one of my kid’s school classes. I got to thinking about how tasty these treats are and how simple they are to make. In fact, the ratio of tasty:simple is pretty much off the charts (in my opinion). Then I started thinking about what I eat when I’m on the bike in training and racing. There are a lot of great products out there and several good recipes for creating your own fuel, but let’s face facts–there’s nothing quite as yummy as a Rice Krispie treat. Most of my training product food choices are either not very tasty, expensive or both. I wondered whether a Rice Krispie treat would be a legitimate replacement for other products.I set out to come up with a solution that fit the following criteria.
1. It had to be something that I look forward to eating. If it’s gross, I don’t care how nutritionally perfect it is. I’m likely not to eat it.
2. It needed to be less expensive (or at least, no more expensive) than the products that are readily available on the market.
3. It must be nutritionally appropriate for consumption during training and racing.
4. It must be easy to carry during training, particularly on the bike.
My tummy tolerated the Rice Krispie treats pretty well and they seemed to keep me fueled, even on longer rides. They are delicious and inexpensive but fail on my third criteria–they aren’t nutritionally appropriate. Since I’m not a nutrition expert, I consulted with a few friends who are and ultimately determined that if I could create a bar that more or less matched the nutritional panel of existing products like Powerbars or Clif bars, I’d be in the right ballpark. Another problem for the Rice Krispie treats is that they are pretty big for the number of calories they contain. I needed something with more caloric density.
I went through about 10 batches of trial and error recipes before settling on the recipe I’m providing here. A couple of the batches were so terrible that they simply had to be tossed. Several of the batches were pretty close but didn’t quite get the taste or size/portability right. What I’ve ended up with is tasty, relatively inexpensive (under $1 per bar), and is nutritionally similar to existing bars.
I’ve done many long training days using only these bars (and water) as fuel. I’ve successfully raced a half marathon and a half Ironman using only these bars as fuel. I will say they’re easier to manage on the bike than on a run. I’ve made many batches that I’ve shared with my kids, my always-game training partner, my daughter’s high school swim team, and members of the CU Triathlon Team. I keep getting thumbs up, so I think the formula is ready to share.
One note on the ingredients–I simply couldn’t get around using marshmallows. I know that they contain corn syrup–something that many folks try to avoid. There are some potential substitutes for the marshmallows, but I haven’t been able to come up with a recipe that works for me. In my research, I’ve come across information that leads me to believe that the corn syrup is a fine fuel source for athletes during training and racing–it’s just not something you should be eating at every meal. You’ll have to make your own decision.
I encourage you to experiment and tweak to get them just right to your taste. Enjoy and please let me know if you come up with a recipe that’s even better!
Ingredients (with notes) – makes 24 servings
Instructions
<1> In a large pot, bring brown rice syrup to a simmer for a few minutes, stirring regularly. It will turn a milky color.<2> Keep the heat on, but very low throughout the process (until you pour the mixture into the pan at the end).<3> Melt butter into the brown rice syrup and add the maple syrup.
<4> Add marshmallows and stir until they are completely melted.
<5> Stir salt and potassium into the mixture.<6> Gradually add protein powder one scoop at a time, stirring each scoop until the mixture is smooth. Be patient–it takes a bit of stirring for the powder to mix thoroughly.<7> Add Rice Krispies and mix thoroughly. Again, work hard and be patient here. Dig all the way to the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to make sure you end up with a thorough and even mixture.
<8> Pour into a lightly buttered 15×10 pan. Spread evenly and use your hands to press (hard) into the pan. (If your hands are wet, the mixture won’t stick to them very much.) Your goal here is to get everything compacted and uniform across the pan as much as possible.<9> Once the bars are cool, cut into 24 squares. (Wait about 30 minutes or so–don’t wait until they’re completely down to room temperature. They’re easier to cut when they’re a little warm. Also, I geek out a little and use a ruler to do my cutting–I want my serving size to be correct so that I know how much fuel I’m putting in me.)<10> Sprinkle a little bit of powdered sugar on top and bottom to keep the blocks from sticking to each other. I’ve found this is generally helpful for storage and out on the road. On really hot days, the bars are going to stick to each other a bit, especially if you keep them in your back jersey pocket.
<11> I’ve had good luck cutting each bar into quarters when I take them out with me. This gives me one inch square (approximately) blocks of 60 calories each. Easy to eat in one or two bites.
Here’s the nutritional breakdown with comparison bars for reference.
Coach Dave Sheanin shares that his experience has shown him that athletes get the best results when they are both physically fit and technically excellent – yet it can be challenging to slow down enough to work on form. An impatient person can learn anything in a hurry, but they will learn incorrectly.
D3 Multisport is proud to release the video series, “The Triathlon Minute”. Invest 1 minute each Friday and you may learn something you didn’t know.
Coach Jim shines some light on the power of training or race-day mantras. Get ideas for one that could help you in a break away moment in this week’s video tip!
Get more training tips, from D3 U.
Functional training means that we train the muscle in a way that mimics its function during movement, in real life. For example, gluteus medius controls the knee in the frontal plane. The abduction machine is not going to train the gluteus medius to prevent the knee from collapsing inward (knee valgus) if the person never trains the muscle in that manner. A muscle without neural input is paralyzed, and in order to train the muscle to perform its function accurately the central nervous system needs to be integrated into training. For a movement to occur, appropriate muscle activation pattern needs to exist in the motor map so that the accurate muscles are recruited at the appropriate time in an appropriate sequence. There is ample evidence that patients who report low back pain also display altered core muscle activation (timing and coordination). Therefore treating pain is not sufficient to achieve proper recovery. Previous injury is the greatest risk factor for future injury, and the reason is likely that rehabilitation has not been complete. A program that does not take into account a possibility for motor control dysfunction and a way to correct it, is going to fail.
The four stages to return to training after an injury are:
1. Decrease swelling
The best ways to decrease swelling are rest, icing, compression, elevation (RICE) and with therapy retrograde massage. Frequently, injured individuals forget about consistency and only use the RICE principle when the foot is already puffy and painful.
2. Mobility
Due to immobilization or inhibition, the joint that communicates with the injured musculature (or the hurt joint itself) becomes stiff and lacks the typical range of motion. Self-mobilization and physical therapy are the best routes to take. Returning to strength training without proper mobility is a perfect recipe for re-injury
3. Stability
Stability is a big piece of the puzzle that most people overlook. For example: The function of the core is anticipatory: creating a stable base for the movement to occur, particularly in the appendicular skeleton. In fact, there are studies about patello-femoral pain syndrome or PFPS that demonstrate how proper core activation results in cessation of pain at the knee due to increased stability of the knee in the frontal plane and decreased valgus forces.
4. Strength (functional)
Strength training is not and should not be just about the bench press, squat and pull-ups. Key component of functional training is regional interdependence. To create a comprehensive rehabilitation or training plan the professional needs to understand how the whole system interacts to create movement, and include in the plan the training of the movement pattern instead of focusing solely on isolated structures. For example, the quality of glenohumeral joint mobility relies on scapular stability as well as on thoracic spine mobility. The later is due to scapulothoracic articulation and muscle attachments to the spine. Trapezius, rhomboids and serratus anterior muscles need to depress and downwardly rotate the scapulae, which creates a base for the rotator cuff to stabilize the head of the humerus in the fossa, enabling the movement to occur. Thus, an overhead kettle bell hold with a shift from half kneeling to standing and reverse would be an example of functional training for the shoulder.
Specificity of training does not apply only to “for strength lift heavy” or “for power add plyometrics”, but also “for better movement, train movement.” The fundamental component of a successful bounce from an injury (and to avoid re-injury) as well as gaining global strength is understanding:
A. the neuromuscular interdependence
B. identification of faulty recruitment patterns and
C. application of corrective exercise to re-learn the proper motor map or in other words: functional training!
Bounce back from injury with this information!
Almost every time I workout at the gym I see people doing pointless lifts. The rule of thumb is that if one is stopped in the middle of a set and asked why a certain movement with that specific weight is performed, a clear answer should be given. For example: to build strength, to build power, or to restore function. However, due to so many different methods in the fitness industry claiming to be the next best thing to build a “beach body” people seem to be confused with what, when and how to perform in the gym. Ever since the concept of functional training came around I see biceps curls being done while standing on a foam, or bench presses laying on a swiss ball. Why? Functional training is NOT exercise on wobbly surfaces. In fact, research conducted on baseball players who practiced hitting a ball while standing on unstable surface showed a decrease in performance.
D3 Multisport is proud to release the video series, “The Triathlon Minute”. Invest 1 minute each Friday and you may learn something you didn’t know.
A progression of high RPM spinning drills will help you achieve a smoother pedal stroke while riding and propel you with more power. Coach Mike shares a challenging drill in this week’s tip.
If you like our videos please share them!
D3 Coach Simon Butterworth is days away from his 11th race at Kona!
He offered to share his journal with us as he prepares for the World Championship race. Enjoy the read!
These are raw notes I make each morning. I do not edit them so no comments about my grammar and what spell checker does to my spelling, wish I had that excuse in College, wish I had spell checker.
PostScript: The Real Race Summary
It’s almost 24 hours since the race started yesterday. I will be doing a lot more analysis of my day in the days to come but here are the first thoughts.The swim went much as expected. A bit slower because of choppy seas and a cramp in first my left and then not to be ignored, my right. Both in the calf. More research is needed on this topic.I could of course blame the big split entirely on the wind but that would be denying the fact that my average power was lower than anticipated. I did well for the first half but coming back the Queen K I fell off the wagon quite a bit. Not sure why, I will be comparing things with Boulder but two facts stand out. The wind, heat, and the hills made the bike over an hour longer. Boulder is not hilly by comparison. Even if I had managed my power goal it would have been at least 40-50 min longer and I did not factor that into my thinking for the fist part of the bike.Towards the end of the bike and during the waddle thru T2 I thought I had screwed up the nutrition. I drank more on the bike going thru all my Scratch, an average of about 30 oz an hour and I also picked up water, coke and Perform totalling about another 10oz an hour. I did not get thru all by race cakes and gels and unfortunate don’t know how many calories I consumed. But the run told me I got enough.The run went almost as planned. I may have gone a bit too fast out of the gate but was still going strong at 10 miles and below goal place. I ran up most of Palani, that was hard. On the way back to town on Alii I passed an outbound fellow AG athlete who when we passed I thought whistled at me, to say hi, strange. Going down the hill from Palani and out of town I was going great again. The gradual climb to the top of the energy lab road was slow as expected but by the turnaround I was at goal pace of about 6:20/km. Coming back from the turn around on the Energy lab road I hear the whistle again but now I realise that it is this athletes breathing. He is much closer. I figured I would wait to see if I could stay with him when he caught me. No such luck. He flew by, I asked him who he was and told him we were in the same AG. I am too nice.I got up the hill back to the QK slowly but much faster than some of my more recent races here. My friend passed me shortly after that. In the growing darkness my pace seems good but my watch showed I was slowing. My average speed was still in my goal range so I was happy but tired.As I approached the last big climb to the top of Palani I hear the whistle again. Then I see my adversary, he is walking, and not fast. What to do. I decide to risk emptying the tank and pick up the pace to a level I did not think was possible. As we hit the hill, a bit under mile long, I passed him. The whistle got louder and did not fade. I pushed even harder and for about a minute I did not think I was going to loose him. Thoughts of the IronWar passed thru my mind, this was close to where Mark Allen made his move in 1989. I did not think I could keep this pace up for long but kept on surprising myself. Then I could see the top of the hill and no longer hear the whistle. Just in case I kept it up. I did not want this effort to go to waste. The last few years there have been the same group of friends supporting us on this hill. They were dancing when I went out, and I had joined in. I may have been recognised, I got a great welcome.I did not let up going down Palini, risky as it is hard on my knees which are sore this morning. Now I was really on a roll and I kept the pace going to the finish. 2009 was my most exciting finish but this year it was most satisfying.I ended up about 90 min ahead of the whistler at the finish. He caught me with a 4:22 marathon to my 4:33. We rounded out the top 8 finishers who went under 13 hours. Ninth place finished over 50 min behind me. I ran the last 2 miles at a 6:06km pace, almost as fast as my first 10 miles. I learned something last night. I have a bigger tank than I thought.I was disappointed to not make it to the podium but the first 5 were way ahead of me. But I always look for a silver lining. I was the fastest athlete over 67. One goal I had had for this year was to stay ahead of Milos Kostic, 73. I did, for the first time. He still outran me but not like last year by almost an hour. He is amazing, lucky for me he does not swim or bike as well.My buddy and, training partner and athlete Brad Woodiel, who I taught to swim, finished strong, we met when I was at mile 15 and he past 20. He was up against competition off the charts. Winning time in his decision, 55-59 was just under 10 hours. Great Day.
Pre-Race Visualization
11th Go at the World Championship
Another October has arrived and we are on our way west again for the 11th time in the past 14 years. Ingrid has got over her perennial complaint about going to Hawaii, again, and is looking forward to beach time. I am coming off one of my best race seasons ever. I’m slower but I not slowing down as much as my competition.I have been thinking the past few weeks of what I might do different than the past few years in the race. I believe I have the pacing well in hand, nutrition is close to as good as it gets but the mental game is still off, probably quite a bit off looking back at the last few races. Not surprisingly it comes down to the mental game around mile 10 of the run.The Boulder IM really hammered that home. I was on home turf running on trails I have covered countless times. Many of those times were after a 90 min swim session with BAM and a 100+ mile ride up to Horsetooth Lake and back. In those training sessions I held just over a 6m/km pace (a 4:15 marathon). I managed just a bit slower than that for about the first 6k in the Boulder race and slid off the wagon after that.With the lessons of recent years and Boulder in particular along with some hoped for improvement in my mental game my goals for this years race are, Swim 1:18, Bike 6:00 run 4:30. With about 10 min total transition time just under 12 hours, lest hope.That’s of course subject to the weather. Last year if I had done a bit better with the mental game I would have gone faster. In 2001 it would have been a lot slower, on the bike. Assuming a normal Bi Island day here is how I think it will go.The Swim:It is a bit different this year, nothing but men to jockey with for a good starting position, we, men are starting at 6:50 with the women in a second wave at 7:00. I find a familiar spot, 1-2 rows back from the front and about half way out from the buoy line. As always the boat marking the halfway point and turnaround ( the course is a rectangle with one side about 100 yards) looks a very long way off and I focus on the two volcano cones on the horizon. There is a modest swell, just enough to make sighting the buoys difficult. The sun is getting close to making its presence felt still hiding just behind Hualalai, the volcano, the gun goes offIt’s not different without the women. With most athletes in skin suits you can’t even tell they are missing. As always most everyone is swimming in a straight line and contact, while still considerable, is nothing like other mass start races. I am able to settle into a good rhythm quickly and happy to be racing.I don’t see much of the first half dozen buoys which is good as it means I am not working my way towards the line too fast. I focus on relaxing my feet and kick easy from the hips and keep my back rounded (the answer i believe to my chronic cramping problems). I wonder if Ingrid can see me from the balconyof our condo, if she is up, about 1/2 mile down the course. With the turn boat now easily spotted I find myself on the buoy line. I am still able to find some faster feet and take advantage of that.The first turn is a bit hectic but not terrible. Ditto for the second 100 yards or so out to sea. I get back to focusing on my technique rotating from what’s happening up front and to out back. I try not to dwell on the camping thinking mind over matter.I can clearly see our condo again and no cramps, I stay focused on the job. The other nice thing is that I have some female company, all of them faster than me and I take advantage of it. I had been waiting for them.Passing the end of the pier with minimal cramping raises my already high spirits. There should be a good photo of me coming up the steps, I must have been smiling, the clock indicated a 1:17 swim.T 1:A hard left, a quick rinse under the showers, find my bag and into the changing tent. This time I have things well organised and I am running around 2000+ bikes in no time. There is a perk in being an old geezer, our bikes are racked near the exit, behind the pros ( also makes for some diversions before the start).My Specialised Tri Vent shoes with the BOA lacing system are waiting clipped on. Transition felt fast but probably no better than my best prior years.The Bike:I think back at my near DNF in 2009, broken derailleur hanger and rescue loaner bike from Rocky Campbell, race Construction manager. I am alway happy to make it past the first half mile of the bike after that. Once past the tree I got shade from 5 years ago I get down to business, making sure I do not get beyond my power goals. It is so easy to do that. You are the fittest you have ever been, well rested and surrounded by bikes, many of whom are going too hard.Even at an excessive power output HR always seem low those first 10 miles. It is also the hilliest part of the bike course in terms of multiple short but steep climbs. So if you focus on speed you can get concerned and then look at your HR and conclude I can hammer a bit.I stick to my to my power goals nicely in town. Not easy as I am passed by a lot of bikes. Still I make it back to the top of Palini right around the 25 min mark, the same time I have done it many times on the Computrainer. It feels good flying down the Queen K and out of town.The forecast is for typical weather from here north. Exactly how strong the winds are depends. You prepare for the worst mentally and pack your rabbits foot. While I don’t like strong winds. I have learned that I do well in them, more mass keeps me glued to the road better than smaller competition.The familiar early land marks pass by quickly. Between racing here and riding the Computrainer course in my basement I must have covered this road almost as often as the ride to Carter Lake or in years past to Mattatuck. After letting the Pacific Ocean settle in my stomach i get down to some serious and consistent hydration and fuelling. I have a goal for this, see sidebar.The QK rolls uphill for about the next 12 miles, then stops gaining altitude at the West Hawaii Vet Cemetery, AKA the Pet Cemetery between me and friend Barry Siff. I work on keeping the power between 175 And 185 with a goal of getting the NP back to around 180 before the big descent to Waikola. I pick up my first bottle of water, to mix with my on board Scratch, just before that descent. Conditions have been very mild to this point but I know that we are entering the realm of the famous “ho’omumuku” winds, these blew with 55 mph gusts in 2001. Progress so far is good with average speed flirting with 19mph at the bottom of the hill. I believe I am pacing this well.Nothing like 2001 welcomed us at Waikola but the newbies in the race are probably wondering what hit them. I stay low, on the aero bars nd close to the side of the road to minimise the wind hitting me. I also keep the legs moving at all times, my theory is the gyroscopic effect helps stabilise the bike. The grass up ahead and or bikes alert me to stronger gusts. The wind is strong enough to make passage thru the cuts thru the small hills of Lava exciting. Thewind changes direction almost 180 at the entrance then suddenly stops as you get into the middle. The exit is like the entrance. It is nasty. Oh and in the middle when the wind dies you feel the radiated heat off the road and black lava walls, getting over 100 by now.These condition are with you to the end of the QK. After a while you do get used to it.Passing thru Waikola I spot my friends Jim and Carol. I wonder what they are thinking of this madness. I hope they come in later to Kona to see some of the finishers. They are on vacation and by chance here race week. I pick up some more water to add to my scratch.Puako slides by off to the left, one of our favourite beaches, a few miles from the end of the QK. NP is now 176, right were I want it. It will drop a bit more on the descent to Kawaihae.That can be a very scary fast descent if the winds are blowing hard. Usually they are not and today is usual but it is still fast. The next 19 miles in my mind can make or break your race. Rolling hills take you along the coast some with grades that get your attention. Go too hard up them and you will pay later. Staying within your goals is hard as you are still reasonably fresh, I get passed but even now often catch up on the descents.With about 6 miles to go to Hawi the road slowly trends to the east and starts a steady climb. Those who have gone too hard up to now will start to discover the error they have made. It is not just the hill but also the wind. For the last couple of miles into Hawi you have the full Trade winds in your face, it is slow going and you better not push hard. My NP does go up a bit but it is still just under 185′ perfect.Hawi is a welcome site, no huge crowds but they are enthusiastic. It’s about 5 miles past the halfway point. I pick up two mixed bottles of scratch and three rice cakes. The cakes are warm but not spoiled.Coming up the hill to Hawi is hard, going back down is scary. It’s like coming down a canyon near Boulder with a screaming breeze at your back, which halfway down gets gusty and prone to sudden changes in wind direction. By the time I reach other rollers along the coast I am back to almost 19mph the more important NP is spot on target.Coming back along the rollers on the coast is an early test of how well you determined your pacing. So far so good for me. I test my legs on one or two of the hills just before Kawaihae, short effort near threshold, it’s not too hard.The hill out of Kawaihae is not a place to push the power. It’s too steep, too long and too hot. Normally, and today is normal, there is a light sea breeze going up hill which eliminates any breeze over the body. Your fry and the sweat soaks the pavement, it is after all right around noon. It is the hardest hill on the course for the above reasons.At the top of the climb you are hoping that the cross winds have diminished a bit on the QK. If you counted on that you are in trouble. What is typical is they have diminished some but they are now coming out of the south, in your face. Your at mile 70 and as they say for all IM races the event is starting.I can feel the first 70 and the swim but I am on top of the nutrition. This is the point in the race that I have often come unglued with motivation. You start to feel it is a long time in the saddle, maybe your pacing is too optimistic and you back off just a tad. I have seen my NP drop 5-10 watts over the last two hours. I am feeling good and determined to stick to the plan. If the run comes unglued then I have learned something for next time but training and the Boulder race tell me I should be fine.The north end of the QK seems to be going up hill but in reality it is just a lot of long rolling hills. 185-9 going up 170-75 going down, with spikes to get up to speed. I am passing bikes, a good sign and I am now furling with caffeine (Green tea Scratch, their latest flavour, great for anyone who tires of sweet stuff). Jim and Carol are our in the heat again at Waikola.There is a head wind but not horrible, holding my power is starting to take some concentration, I stick with it. I am motivated by knowing that I am on target for a 6 hr finish, assuming no surprises down the road. We are approaching the last long climb of the course that takes us around a point of land where the weather can change. I clear the two big rollers before the long climb and start up at a steady 180. This is not the easy 180 at the start of the bike but it is not killing me, HR is climbing but is still a comfortable 105, for me. We pass the Scenic View, a great place to ride to before the race to survey the Top end of the QK.The aide station looms at the top of the hill, a welcome sight, about an hour left in the saddle, I load up with water.
The wind is not super strong but it is now out of the west, no longer a head wind. This will be good if it stays in that direction as we curve southward. The most expensive, I think, real estate on the big Island slides by to the west, annual maintenance was 250,000 in 2004 when it opened.The hardest part of the course is behind us and the wind is being nice and staying westerly, speed is picking up and I work to maintain 175 power.The airport road comes into view, 8 miles to go, downhill. Next up the top of the Energy Lab Road. I have not done the math to figure out where the pros might be on the run but for sure many will be on this stretch of road by now. I try not to get distracted. I am going to finish right at the 6 hr mark and I don’t want to loose any time at this point.As I pass the turnoff to Costco thoughts turn to the run. I up the cadence a wee bit. It has been very good and I hope bodes well for the run. For the first time it is in the high 80′s and in have been holding that over the last 20 miles, something I have not done before. It has been a focus of my indoor training this summer. I am hoping this will help the run.The last slight climb at the start of the 4 lane road is certainly harder than coming back from training rides. I keep it mellow and get back to speed quickly into Kona. The last few miles are a blur, I am on target well fuelled and feeling as good as you could expect after 112 miles in the sun. Speaking of which there is a modest cloud cover in Kona, yahoo.I slide out of my BOA equipped Specialized Shoes, thank you Garett.T2:I learned two years ago socks were not a bad idea on the bike and that was reinforced in Boulder. If you expect a long run without shoes thru transition check out the surface for heat and texture. Running in bike shoes in my mind is NG, running barefoot with no socks on a hot or rough surface is also NG. I have socks on. I change them for the run.It’s a long way around the bikes, I walk with a fast cadence for about 30 sec then run, slow. It is hard but not terrible, way better than some races. I am encouraged.I switched running shoes this year to the Hoka Cliften. Garett (BOA) presented me with a second pair with their closure system installed. You might not think seconds count in an IM but you would be wrong. Twice I have finished seconds ahead of the same athlete in Kona so I welcome the time savings of the BOA system. The rest of T2 also went smoothly.The Run:Getting out of T2 is easy as is the first 200 meters past the King Kam hotel, it’s flat. Then you get reminded that there are hills on this course, the bottom of Palani Hill. Not long not too steep but a rough test of shaky running legs. I cope with it but it is not pretty. I have done this before and know it is not time to panic. Better to look up for friends on the Hot Corner.It’s hard to get a rhythm going on Kuikini as there is still a slight uphill. Again I have learned not to fret at this point, it is very early on the run. I get down into a boxers crouch for 20 sec of walking. I find this helps get the glutes firing properly. Finally the grade goes negative approaching the turn down to Alii Dr. I start to loosen up on going down hualalai. The top male pros must be close to finishing I can hear Mike Riley getting would up. A left onto Alii. It’s not good to look like death running along Alii past the Lava Java (the place to be seen during race week). I certainly did in 2001 and a few times after that. I straighten up and Fly Right.The Mile 1 marker passes by I am on pace but slowing on the first hill on Alii. It’s not like a training day on the hill but I still get up in good form after a crouching walk thru my first aide station. It is a hot afternoon. There are some clouds but they are thin and the radiant heat is pushing thru. The ice down my back feels good. I settle down for the long haul and focus on the next mile and start focusing on the next step.Body is tired but feeling good. Motivation is high. I am in a position to contend for a podium slot if I hold things together but there is a lot of work to be done. How I do it will determine the outcome.It’s alway good to see Ingrid looking out for me. This year with friend and fellow stroke victim Melinda and Carol. I learn the husband Brad is doing well and a good 30 min ahead of me. With his run speed he might make it home in 11 hours.The big hill on Alii looms. This year I have no worries about being forced to walk. Pace is actually a bit high and I am determined not to over do it in the early stages. So I take a 15 sec fast crouching walk just before the hill and get the cadence up when I start running just before the grade kicks up. It works this feels almost like some earlier training days, almost. Going down the other side feels fast and it is. I fuel and hydrate on the fly and just pick up some more ice at the aide station. I am carrying enough fuel, gels, and fluids, Scratch, to get me to about mile 12 then it will be Gatorade and coke to mile 16 and special needs.Back on the flats I get things back under control. The Garmin tells be my cadence is 87, just a bit off goal but OK. I go to work on it passing mile 3. Pace is also good, just over 6:15/ km. it’s a bit below overall goal but fine at this point. Another aide station just for ice and a power walk of 30 sec.Another body check approaching mile 4. Cadence 88 average pace still 6:15 pace for last k 6:00. HR is no longer operational, never is for me in this heat. I can’t keep the chest strap in place with all the sweat. In any event my HR is so low running in these races I just go on respiration and feel.A major milestone passes, I am on my way back to Kona. Still progress is good. I am feeling the heat, everyone must be but between the clouds and some tree shade it is manageable. Mile 6 passes, 20 to go. I let myself dwell on this for just a bit. That’s just over my longest training run distance to go and that not hard and more importantly very doable. I don’t let negative thoughts intrude.The “big” hills on Alii approach. I am now trying to up the pace just a tiny bit so I have at the hill. It does not kill me indeed it felt good. My confidence for Palani goes up, that was the idea. Mile 8 slides by and up ahead is my fan club. Ingrid gets a sweaty kiss. I look forward to the next one.I am proud of myself. I have not been aggressively/obsessively looking for competition on this out and back. I did see two, not sure who but made sure I looked good when we got close. I would guess that my friend Chris Wren is way up front but lots of stuff can happen in the next 17 miles.Coming back thru town I am going thru my first bad patch. The last hill on Alii was hard. I am keeping the pace going by just focusing on form. The run up Hualalai Rd is tough, it’s only a slight climb. A lot can change in even 1000 yards. I work on it and decide on a very short walk before Pilani. That does wonders, cadence is back up and I am feeling strong rounding the hot corner. Lots of encouragement helps. I punt and keep running up to steep section, I am feeling that good.It does get the breathing going hard but I believe I can handle a spike on this hill, done it often enough in training and at the Boulder IM. I make to to the aide station on the hill running and take a short ice break and load up an empty bottle with water. Up Palani running almost the entire way. Perhaps I have a age adjusted run PR in me. This is very good.It’s a long 1000+ descent to the edge of town and mile 11. I use it to recover from the climb. I passed a lot of people in that last mile, which gives me a great mental boost. .I turn my mind to not thinking about what is ahead. The road gets lonely for the first time on the Queen K, few if any spectators, and it is a long stretch of unshaded road. No steep hills but very little flat and a constant trend up to the Energy Lab turnoff.I have run out of my own gels by now and am picking up one at every other aide station, consuming it as I approach the next still running. I still have some bags of scratch with I am loading into bottles on the fly and getting water in the aide stations. It’s working well but slowing me a bit. Depending on how I am feeling in the last miles I may switch to the local brew.Mile 14, the Costco turnoff. Past the halfway point. I always feel a bit sad at this point, telling myself that the race is almost over. Helps put the last half in perspective. There is a tough 2 miles ahead gradually going uphill the whole time. I have lost time here in the past and am determined not to do so this year.Halfway up I spot Chris. He must be in the lead and must be close to an hour ahead of me. Still if I keep going well perhaps I can narrow the gap from last year. Good motivation. Brad passes shortly behind Chris, he is doing very well for a first timer.As I turnoff down the energy lab road I have a mental picture of Bobby McGee, my running guru, appearing out of nowhere in 2007 to ask me had I been taking my Glucose tablets. Back then I had not, I have been this year since mile 10 and it has sure helped keep me focused.You know you are doing well in this race if you can take advantage of the hill down to the Energy Lab. I do and get a great mental lift. The sun is now low in the sky so the infamous Lab is not going to be the killer it is earlier in the day. But the road is still stinking hot and you can feel it.Turning right along the beach I am still running fast, relatively. There is no wind down here as is often the case. I get some extra ice down my back and front and hold some in my hands.I will never forget the first time I made the turnaround out here. I have a video of it. I don’t like looking at it. I know I look much better today.I pick up a new supply of Scratch at the special needs and some caffeinated gels. Around the corner and up the hill. This is really where you find out what’s left. It’s mile 18 at the bottom and almost a mile uphill. It starts out to be a challenge. I walk For 20 sec and then start running with very short fast strides. It works, in 100 yards I am moving well again and make it to the aide station at the top of the hill before another short walk.Mile 19 slides under my feet. I still could go under 12 hours might even make 11:45 but that is a long shot. I will only start thinking about it if it is still in reach at by the Harbour. Now I need to focus on running well down to Costco. I also need to focus on my transitions thru the aide stations. The last one was too slow, too much walking. There is less then 7 miles to go, a short walk in the park, no time for dilly dawdling, seconds count. It certainly is getting hard and the brain wants to think of a rest, I suck on another glucose tablet. I look down the road and start visualising picking off the competition up ahead. It starts to work I am passing people10k to go this should be a breeze. I know the rails can still come off but at this point I am gaining confidence. I get thru the aide station quickly and am still going well. Same at the Costco aide station. Now just 5 miles to go. Now I can let myself think about those last miles and it seems short and I feel sad again.I do need to prepare mentally for this last bit. It is short but it is getting harder and will get worse. It is light is going and this bit always is hard in the dark. I stay focused get thru the aide station at the harbour aide station well and can see the mile 23 marker up ahead. 5k to go. Cresting the hill just past the harbour the light breeze is carrying the sounds of the finish line out of town. I can also see the lights. Now I am motivated.Mile 24 and the most evil hill is head. I can run up this on fresh legs at a 5:45/ k pace. I won’t manage 6 tonight but I am going 6:30 which is great.As the road level just before Palani I work hard to build the pace, cadence then stride length. There is still some speed left in me. I have no idea where the competition is but I tell myself someone is close up front and there are some on my heals. That worked in 2011 and 12 and kept me in 3rd and 2 nd. I fly down Pilani as fast as I dare stopping for just one last shot of coke. My quads are going to pay for that.The run along Kukini is hard as always, so near and yet so far. You can hear Mike welcoming those up front to the IronMan Club but you are running in the wrong direction. There is now lots of support on the sides of the road. As the road starts down to Alii I search to see what is left in me If I do get passed by competition at this point they will have to be good.Support at Boulder was really amazing. Overall it was better than any Kona race I have done. But there is nothing like the the last 500 yards in Kona. The noise is overpowering, the lights make it like the daytime except you have trouble seeing who is screaming at you and of course it is Kona. If I am not on the podium no worries I am finishing under 12 hours for the first time in 7 years.I am clearly not as strong when I did go under 12 before. Conditions were average so no advantage there. I was a wee bit faster in the water. My bike split was close to the last few years. My run was over 20 min faster. I sure feel that effort as I look for Ingrid, it won’t be pretty tomorrow and for the next few days. I wonder what made the difference. It will be fun analysing that but Yogi Berra’s famous quote about Baseball comes to mind, “half the sport is 90% mental”. I also think of another Baseball Great Satchel Page Who said ” don’t look behind you something may be catching up with you”. I obviously have ignored one of his other pieces of advice, ” avoid running just jangle around loosely to loosen up your bones”. I will take that advice for a few weeks.
Sunday Sept 28
Arrived yesterday on an old United bird. You can gets an idea of the age of a plane by the construction of the toilet bowl. Stainless Steal means old. But she got us here with some great views of the Rockies, clear sky to Utah, and then another breath gave us a great view of SF bay. Hawaii was cloudy, with massive thunder heads off shore. Most unusual for he “dry” side of the island. A race yesterday would have been a wet one, high humidity but relatively cool. It looked like the winds were blowing hard at Hawi but not along the Queen K.
We almost learned very unpleasant lesson checking in our bags. We borrowed a Tri All sports three wheeled bike box, the kind that looks like it contains wheels. The United agent defined it as sporting equipment, even though it is smaller than most standard luggage, a $100 fee. This was in addition to he $100 for the bike box. We protested and got extremely lucky, the supervisor turned out to be a competitive bike racer and the case was re-defined as standard luggage, $35, my second bag. I suspect the the first agent was following the intent of the United policy so beware if you travel with that kind of box.
Never before have I felt so much like I had been here before, this is our 11th time here in 14 years. I think we may have added a new tradition to the day. The past few years we had our last meal at the Bite Me fish shack and restaurant beside the marina travel lift. We had our first meal here yesterday at Bite Me, very good fresh caught fish and they know how to cook it. Also reasonably priced compared to many Kona favourites. Now we will have our first and last meal at Bite Me.
Picked up food basics at Target and headed to our condo. Same place we stayed in last year adding to the feeling we I have been here before. Unpacked the minimum and went to bed.
Jet Lag had me up at 4, now I need to get busy and assemble my bike, important things first.
Monday September 29
Yesterday would have been another odd weather day for IM. No rain at least in Kona and mostly cloudy. Not that you would have noticed much in a race. Humidity was high and the strength of the sun, almost directly overhead, has to be felt to be appreciated. Even thru a thin could cover black pavement was almost to hot to walk on barefoot around noon.
Untitled1Water temps are also unusually warm. My Kona friend Cory told me 84. That’s hot enough to have some impact on the race and might explain my rather slow swim yesterday. I did not need my Garmin to tell me I was going slow. I had a hard time catching up with someone doing the doggy paddle. She did have an advantage Working with webbed feet and a ttail for a rudder. She was not interested in a chat when I caught her, too busy trying to stay up with her friend on a paddle board. Our dog Rita would share like life out here.
Got the bike set up before sunrise. Love my new bike case, a Thule. The bike stand comes with it. The base clips in to the bottom of the case and the legs dissemble to stow nicely. It makes th box a bit heaver than otherwise but worth it. The only down side to the box, it almost did not make it into the Ford Fusion we have rented (across the back seat).
As I mentioned swimming was slow yesterday, I also felt a bit sluggish on the bike for 45 min but went to bed with a smile. At 5 I rolled out of the house for a 30 min run and felt great. We are stay near the original host hotel in Keauhou and T2. When they moved T2 to the new location at the pier in Kona they eliminated the Pit making the run course considerably easier. I like to do one training run into the Pit when I am here. It is ugly but on fresh legs and a cool evening, no big deal. But it does make you smile when you do it below your goal race pace. From where we are it’s down a steep hill to sea level to a place were there never seems to be a breath of fresh air and is surrounded by black everything and back up. The old race course first went up then down and back up. Mark Allen’s run record, 2:40 still holds on that course in the 1989 Iron War. Dave’s is still the second fastest.
Funny how things people say, do or suggest stick with you forever and remind you of them A sailing friend taught me to wipe my self down after a shower to reduce the amount of water that the towel soaks up, handy in this climate. Another friend suggested running my face under the tap before shaving to soften the bristles. No need out here but I think of Dave often, he has raced out here. Then there was my funny cousin, smart economist, recruited from England to form the World Bank. Every time I soften butter in the microwave I think of him, he was an early adopter of the technology in 1967. Finally Benny,one of my new Recruits to my masters swim program. Benny I predict will become a Special Olympics Champion, he already cleans up at Colorado events. A favourite expression of his is Oh Good, with a big smile, always uttered when I tell him his workout is over. When I finished my run yesterday I thought of Benny.
Tuesday September 30
Yesterday was Ingrid’s day. Not that I did not get in the workouts I needed but the day, most of it was hers. Never underestimate the importance of keeping the spouse happy while you stress out over an IM. When you are in paradise it becomes even more important.
So the day was swim for an hour at 7, then drive to the best Black Sand Beach on the South side of the Island, 50 miles. The is the route to the Volcano, the active one. It is also the bike route for day one of UltraMan, after a 6 mile swim. That is one tough ride and we did not drive the last 30 miles which has over 4000 ft of climbing.
UntitledThe Black Sand Beach is worth a visit but not to sit on. Nice place to stop on the way to see the Volcano or in our case visit South Point. We thought that visiting the most southerly point in Hawaii. We, or at least I discovered, there are a few more reasons. Awesome place to run. Amazing place to swim, if you have the courage to jump off a cliff. This one.
There is another way to get into the water but probably only for the ultimate thrill seekers. Jumping into a blow hole to the right of the picture. Not much room between the rocks but several kids showed it could be done.
The ocean behind me stretches almost uninterrupted to Antarctica. Perhaps you might hit Pitcarn Island, resting place of the ship Bounty and some of her mutineers.
If you like running along almost uninhabited oceanfront then this would be your idea of great fun. I suspect on the weekend this is not the place to be as one inhabitant is obviously Dune Buggy’s and other off road vehicles. They do make great running paths though.
Untitled2It was not a long run, there was nothing for Ingrid to do except watch the crazy kids. I thought this would be a bucket list visit but I want to go back and do a little cliff jumping.
Time for some training. My last run over an hour.
Wednesday October 1
That went well, or at least it did until I got to the hill at the south end of Alii Dr at the end of the run. My workout was one. I learned from Gordo Bryn. Very simple, first third easy, second third IM pace, last third HIM pace or a bit better. I got the pacing near perfect until I made it up the steepest piece of the hill, then the humidity and increasingly hot sun seemed to get to me and the last mile was slow.
The plan for the rest of the day was some relaxed beach time and shopping at Costco on the way home. There is certainly no excuse for not finding a way to relax around Kona and ther is nothing like a nap in the shade of a palm tree. Just make sure it’s not a coconut palm.
This morning I had good company swimming in Kahalua Bay, my friend and multiple IronMan and UltraMan Finisher, Laurie Beers. She is training for another UltraMan in November. Surf is up a bit today making for some interesting moments getting thru a few breakers. A bit later I met the biggest fish I have seen in this bay, not sure what they were but about 2-3 feet in length. Swimming out here sure beats following a lane line, I may have said this before.
Time for some more relaxation.
Thursday October 2
The days leading up to the Boulder IronMan seemed to take forever. The first 4 days out here have flown by. I think it has something to do with how much I like this place and don’t want it to end. Perhaps it also has something to do with the pressure I felt racing in front of a home town crowd and how badly I wanted to qualify again. Now that I made it I can relax a bit, but not too much.
Yesterday’s swim might turn out to be a breakthrough for me. I did not cramp, unusual for a swim over an hour for me. I almost always get at least a minor cramp, sometimes, like Monday, it stops me in my tracks. The explanation may be I have I finally found the cause of this curse. Too soon to say but it left me feeling upbeat. Add to that a great ride in the late afternoon, 3×15 min at threshold power, and the positive vibes for race day are flowing.
For relaxation we headed up to Coffee Country and our favourite hang out in the cool air at around 2000ft, Holuakoa Cafe. Visiting this place is a ritual for us. Not too many athletes make it up here, we have only met one or two in over 11 visits but it make for a nice drive or as I did once a great hill climb workout.
Untitled3I lost Ingrid after we finished our coffee and drifted into a new Art Gallery, there are several up here. So new that I was their first customer. I have been looking for a special piece of Koa carving since we first came here and I found it yesterday. Koa is an amazing wood. Sand and polish it enough with tung oil and it looks varnished. Sadly the trees have been over harvested and the only wood now available is from dead trees. The few left standing are being protected.
A good day yesterday, off for a run this morning and another ride this afternoon, the first up the Queen K.
Friday October 3
Untitled4This was the view from our condo last night and on the next page this morning. This time at least the old sailors way of forecasting the next day seems to have worked. Sure feels good. Humidity is down and there is a light northerly breeze. What I would call a more normal day compared to the last 6.
That of course may mean that the trade winds are back and the ride I have planned from the end of the Queen K to Hawi will be a windy one. More about that when it is over.I did two loops into the Pit yesterday. No question this tapering business works. I felt great. I kept the effort low except on the steepest grades. No question this old run route must have been rough on all and a killer to those not fully prepared. It would be interesting to see the drop out rate from those days. Back then for man it must have been their first IM. Their were at least 5 NA half I m qualifiers and several Olympic races got you in. The grade on the hill 200 meters out of T2 was/is 10% for about 100m. The grade coming out of the Pit is nearly 6% and that hill is over 500m.
Untitled6For fun Ingrid spent a couple of hours at the Keiki (Children’s) Beach. So named because of its popularity with parents. Best sand in Kona and a totally protected big tidal pool. So long in fact that my local friends use it sometimes to do laps, it’s about 100m long. The only downside is the view, often blocked by a floating hotel. Actually I insult hotels, many are much better looking.
Untitled7I am still suffering mentally from all the training of the summer. I did not want to go off for a ride while Ingrid relaxed. But I did and once underway felt good about it. Conditions on the Queen K were typical for a mid afternoon, no shade from the clouds and a SW sea breeze. It was a fast ride going out, a slow elevation gain, and not so fast coming home. Then I did relax, floating on my back in the Tidal pool.
I had an old friend in NY who we had lost a touch with since we left. She is a believer of things spooky and perhaps I should believe as well. Wednesday I thought of her when we were in the art gallery, a place she would have loved. Around the same time she was in Madrid on vacation looking for old friends on Facebook, she found me and we reconnected. That was the best part of the day.
Time to get going.
Saturday Oct 4 Seven more days
Some Colorado company made the ride from Spenser State Park to Hawi and back, 40 miles much more fun than my last two solo rides up there. The day was much closer to Kona normal than any so far. No clouds and a very intense sun, humidity on that part of the course about normal with the only sub par conditions being the wind. Judging from our time going up vs down, 1:10 vs 54 min it was not very windy. It was there however and Brad got a small taste of what could be. He looks ready to race, his fist out here.
Traffic was very bad coming back to Kona. The backup started just after passing the airport, 7 miles out from town. It’s as bad as the Long Island Expressway at rush hour, that’s worse than any jam in the Denver area. I took the short/long cut up to the Mamalahoa Highway avoiding Kona.
Not much time this morning. The 2.4 mile swim on the IM course starts at 7. There should be lots to talk about later. Did not sleep nearly as well last night as the first 6 nights. Perhaps I am a bit more wound up about the big race than I am admitting to myself. This swim will be an important test of how that will go next week.
1pm: Well the swim went well but my cramping is still with me. Still if the swim next Saturday goes as well I will be happy. The course today was long according to my Garmin 910, it showed 4100 meters, should be 3800. It also felt long. If that was correct I swam 2.4 miles in about 1:16. Same time as the boulder IM in a wet suit. Put me in 4th place behind two local speed daemons, the winner going 59:39 and one of my competitors in next Saturdays race. Harry was 4 min up on me if I remember correctly. He will be a hard case to beat as he bikes and runs well to boot. Apart from the one big cramp in both calfs at the same time I felt good. Brad came out of the water a couple of seconds ahead of Paula Newby-Frazer. Nothing like rubbing shoulders with the champions before a race.
We are in our race week condo now. It’s about a mile to the pier and 1/4 mile to Lava Java and several good restaurants. Perfect place for Ingrid to watch the race and walk to the finish. We also had a birds eye view on some of the locals who live just outside the surf line, a big tribe of spinner dolphins. I hope they will grace me with a visit sometime this week on a training swim. Got to go shopping.
D3 Multisport is proud to release the video series, “The Triathlon Minute”. Invest 1 minute each Friday and you may learn something you didn’t know.
Weaving a specific purpose into your training throughout the year is essential to gain momentum in triathlon, and it keeps things interesting. Coach Brad Seng shares the strength of that point in this week’s video.
If you like our videos please share them!
In this week's D3 Triathlon Minute, Coach Dave shares his quick and easy way to clean your cassette.
D3 Multisport is proud to release the video series, “The Triathlon Minute”. Invest 1 minute each Friday and you may learn something you didn’t know.
How do the pros manage their transitions? Listen in as Mental Skills Coach Will Murray, shares his insight on how one Olympian successfully manages his mindset during transitions.
If you like our videos please share them!
