Break time

See you all in January. I'm going to be eating ice cream and not running.  Oh yeah.

#TRSDraft - First Round, First Pick

.@therealstarky

You know it, I know it, just make it happen.

That's right folks.  I'm declaring my allegiance and will sign with The Real Starky Age Group Team for the 2015 triathlon season and beyond.  Of course, that is if I'm drafted.  Now to the pomp and awesomeness that will gain me this infamy.

Eligibility:

Currently no one loves me.  That is, I don't fly anyone's colors or kit.  I'm a free agent!

Awesomeness:

C'mon, do you have to ask?  OK, well the rap sheet for 2014 looks decent.  7 amateur triathlons with 7 podium spots.   5 of those were overall podiums.  [Cue the pat the on back]  I don't race Iron distance.  I race only Sprints and Super Sprints and it turns out I'm good at them.  Quite frankly, I don't have the attention span for any run longer than a 5K.

What does this mean for Team TRS?  More pictures of a giant cock and "soon to be named" sponsor.  This is in addition to my already TRS fueled presence at races! And the wife may not always have clothes on at races.  So there's that.

I also may or may not run a separate parody account concerning a certain global triathlon company's problems.
 

Community Service:

This was court ordered right?  I mean, why else are we doing this?  Well, as an added benefit, I always have enough bail money for me and 1 other in my special needs bag.  So I can help out other troubled TRS team mates.  I can drink with the best (and worst) ((and worstest)) of them. I look forward to TRS Team meetings.  I'd imagine them looking like the #beermile, but with Whiskey.

Code of Conduct:

I have a day job (unfortunatly) so I don't need to take anything from the industry (read not #sponsored).  If you really wanted to see my workouts, then stalk me on Strava or something, but I won't bore you with my gnarly swim or killer brick set.  Plus, I've lasted this long as a @therealstarky follower, so I must be doing it right already.

Draft away mother f@#&ers.   Cause it's this or I'm going pro at badminton. #RocktheShuttleCock

2 more down & 2 left

Knocked out the Tupper Lake TinMan Sprint (really an Olympic distance) at the end of June in upstate NY and recently the 14.06 Sprint in Manassas, VA.

Both races went well, but could have been better.

Tupper Lake TinMan Sprint - Great day for a race.  Swim start was in water and went very well.  I came out of the water 9th overall and left T1 quickly.  The bike leg was solid and I came into T2 3rd overall.  The run started well, but by the 5K mark, I started to shutdown.  I walked a few spots and the 2 aid stations on the way back.  I ran it in for 6th place male overall.  A better placing than last year, but a slower time due to the run.

http://www.sportstats.ca/displayResults.xhtml?racecode=107250

14.06 Sprint - A solid performance all around.  425 yard pool swim in a TT format.  11.2 mile flat and fast bike course.  2.6 mile flat run course with a short section in the woods.  I knew it would be close when I saw a few guys chasing me on the run.  It was. 2nd place overall and lost to 1st by 6 seconds.

http://www.amazingracetiming.com/results/2014/the-14-06/327-results-triathlon.html

  

A solid week off, aka no workouts, was my greatest prize.  2 races looking to finish out the season.  Twinbrook Tri in Rockville, MD and the Luray Sprint.  The latter is my first opportunity race head to head against the pros via an OPEN division.

Got it!

The W.  Finally.  As Lee, the lifeguard at my pool said, "You've been knocking on that door for a while now, it's good to get through it!"

Recap of that win...

The Manassas Mini Tri, like the other super sprints I've been racing this season, is a short swim at 250 yards in the pool, a 4 mile bike and 1.5 mile run.  It's red line the entire time with no room for error in each discipline or transitions.  Everything must be fluid.  Races here are won and lost by seconds.  Last year, I placed 4th on this same course missing 3rd by 12 seconds and separated from first by 40 seconds.

With a start time of 7:15, I rolled into the parking lot by 6:10.  Transition placement is first come, first serve and I try to be as close to the bike in/out as possible.  I setup my transition area, talked with some younger kids about the bike, racing, and made my way to packet pickup.  With about 20 minutes to start, I was able to walk transition a few times to know my lines for in and out.

Pre-race meeting was standard except for the DJ stopping the "Star Spangled Banner" about one verse in.  No matter, the crowd of 200 participants, staff, and volunteers kept singing away without musical accompaniment.  It was awesome.  I may have wept. 'Merica.

Time trial swim starts are always interesting.  For this 250 yards, I seeded myself at 4 minutes.  I was 16 people back, with each person going off every 5 seconds.  There were a few ::cough::too many::cough:: people that were nowhere near swimming a 4 minute 250 yd.  Whatever.  As the race director said at the pre-race meeting, "you can swim over, under, or around anyone".  So I did.  After I got the "GO"  I sprinted the first 25 caught my 5 second man, hit the wall and kept hammering.  I passed 10 people in the swim, easily.  I hit the 4th fastest (3rd fastest male) swim time for the day. Out of the water, I quickly moved off the pool deck and once outside sprinted for my bike rack.

Slow is smooth and smooth is fast.  56 second T1 down and onto the bike.  I'd changed over to a new tri-specific shoe.  These were much easier and comfortable post swim to get into and start cranking on the bike.  eBay steal at $10 for the Specialized Carbon Tri Vent shoe and they only needed $5 replacement parts to make them 100% again.  Again, a steal.

I'd also spoke with Chris at Bike Doctor Waldorf on lowering my front end position.  This was the first race in the position and it was amazing.  That guy can do wonders even just over the phone.  I held a 24 mph on the flats and ended up with the fastest bike split for the day.  The Manassas bike course has around 5 180 degree turns with even more 90 degree turns.  It's difficult to hold a top speed for long, but it's a fun course!  Riding the 180's properly and not losing speed is a key.  As they teach in cyclocross racing, ride the tape to apex to tape on each turn.  I passed the remaining early and stronger swimmers by the 1st mile and didn't look back. Strava link:  http://www.strava.com/activities/151004705/analysis

I moved into T2 with a full sprint, bobbled the re-rack a bit losing a few seconds, but remained calm and pressed on.  Right into my shoes and grabbing my race belt, I was off onto the run.  From reading what ITU professionals do and in my traning I've incorporated going to a full sprint right off the bat.  This destroys that heavy leg feeling and gets the blood moving to run muscles sooner.  Note:  This works for me and it works for me at short distances, I wouldn't use this tactic a anything longer than an Olympic.  With the bobble, my T2 time was at 52 seconds.  It's usually around 25 seconds.

The run was as smooth as I could make it.  I had a relay team leave just in front of me, so I used her as my pace for the first half of the run.  Chase that rabbit.  By the .75 mile mark, the top female gained on me, but she was an early swimmer and I knew I had 80 seconds on her at least.  She was a fast runner, ending the day with the fastest run time overall.  She and I crossed the finish line within steps of each other. I was able to maintain a 6:20 pace.  Wheeew.  I looked at the clock and figured I was around 27:45.  I waited around the finish line for the next few people to cross.  The next male racer was about a 2 minutes back.  I had a feeling I took the win, but wasn't 100%.

I found out later when the results were posted.  Happiest. Guy. In. The. World.

 

Taper is good, but what is right?

@SkratchLabs @BikeDrWaldorf

Big thanks to both of these for hydration and bike fits.  Without either, I'd be screwed. </plug>

I've recently completed 2 super sprint distance races.  I took 2 different approaches to taper prior to each.

For the May 4th East Coast Super Sprint (400m swim, 10k bike, 2.5k run) I did the following:

1. No road biking for 12 days prior to event and that was only commuting
2. 2 whole rest days immediately prior to event
3. Mostly easy runs and swims week of
4. Total of 2 hours of training during taper week

Times for my race were moderate:  1:30/100yds on the swim (wetsuit & open water swim), 22mph on the bike, 7:10/mi pace on the run.

For the May 24th & 25th Rev3 Rush (250m swim, 5mile bike, 1.5 mile run) I did the following:

1. No road biking for 6 days prior to event those 2 days back to back
2. 1 rest day prior to event
3. Moderate runs and swims week of
4. Total of 2 hours of training during taper week

Times for my race were moderate:  1:30/100yds on the swim (no wetsuit and pool swim), 24mph on the bike, 6:10/mi pace on the run.

There's difference in both the taper week and the results.  My Rev3 Rush race was faster and I placed better than the East Coast Super Sprint.  The amount and intensity of the biking was closer to the event and harder.  This was more noticeable for me that I was able to push harder on the bike in the Rev3Rush. I felt fresher and held more power than the previous race.  The run too was a noticeable difference.  I was able to push harder even though I had harder workouts during taper.

Remember, see what works for you and how your body responds to different activities.  Mine needs good quality rest, but not long of a rest.  Easier days don't do me more good than moderate days.

Building your own bike number holder

I love to tinker and build my own stuff.  Sometimes it works out, sometimes not.  But this time, I think I've got a good one.  First off, I don't like grime or sticky residue on my bike.  It must remain clean.  So sticking the bike number for races onto the frame eeks me out, as I know I'll be cleaning it off later.  Not any more.

Using the rear reflector mount and some mid stiffness plastic, I was able to create this beauty.  I drilled some holes in the plastic to reduce weight.  Overall it's very light at 20 grams and does the job perfectly.  Heck, it didn't move when I was doing 80 mph going home with the bike mounted on my truck.

In action

Rage Cage (aka taper week)

The urge to good fast or go hard in the week coming up to a race is almost unbearable.  You'll want to push yourself, but remember that this is the time for your body to recover and re-energize before being asked the most of it.  I have the most difficult time here in my training, knowing when to just not go out. 

I've read studies that you won't see any gains 2-3 days prior to a race anyway.  The key for me is to stay flexible, keep to easy rides, runs, and swims.  And keep them shorter.  No need for an easy 8 mile run if your race is a Sprint with a 5K. 

Nutrition wise, I'll stick to water for a majority of the week, taking in as much as I can remember to throughout each day.  I'll mix in a 50/50 of water and juice (either cranberry or apple) to keep it interesting and not dilute or wash away minerals & vitamins from my body.  With a reduced level of exercise, I'll be more cognizant of my food intake.  While I won't starve myself, I will keep clear of any high carb treats, like cookies or large amounts of bread.  I want to keep my race weight throughout the taper week and be comfortable on race morning at that weight.  We'll all have after the race to eat whatever we want!

http://www.triradar.com/training-advice/how-to-fuel-for-the-perfect-race/

I set up my bike early in the week and get my other gear together by Thursday.  This allows me enough time should I need any last minute parts or gear.  Most likely, I'll be squared away and won't, but it's good to have that out.  I'll get 1-2 quick rides (on the trainer if needed) on the bike in it's race set up to get the feel and make any last adjustments.  Ideally, you never do anything new on race day, so this is your last chance to dial in your equipment.  With my Felt AR5, I use clip-on bars and have to switch my seat post around, so it never stays in the tri setup full time.

Race day is another story... and another post!

First race

With an early season race planned, the goal set shouldn't be a win or a top 10.  It should allow you to see how your base training, initial speed training, and technique training has paid off.

Using the 2 programs I've posted here, I'm very happy with how Sunday went.  Sure I would loved to have knocked out a 1st place win, but 3rd is still on the podium.  Also, it being a reverse tri (run, bike, swim) the body wasn't exactly ready.  The weather at the start was 38 F and rainy.

At the gun, I was off and pacing with the eventual winner, Sean Walsh.  We ran 3rd and 4th for the 1.5 mile course.  The run leader, Josh Pickens, who took second overall, was a good 30 seconds in front of us.  By T1, Sean and I were still close.  I made it into T1 5 seconds after Sean, with Josh already moving out onto the bike.  I got out of T1 fast and onto the bike before Sean.  a quarter mile into the bike and I was having serious issues getting into my shoes and just getting my arms/fingers to work with the cold.  Sean passed me at that moment, I was able to get into the shoes and start a rhythm.  The bike course is a 4 mile loop shaped like a cross.  This meant a lot of hammer in between 180 degree turns.  I managed to stay on Sean and we bridged up to Josh.  In the last 300 meters, Josh was quickly into T2 with Sean and I coming into the dismount line at the same time.  A poor selection on my part for racking had me running my bike to the exit side of T2.  I was able to strip down as fast as I could minus the long sleeve skin shirt.  I was able to get that off right before entering the pool.  The swim can be summarized for me as pure survival. It's probably my strongest discipline and I could not for the life of me get my arms to move after the cold of the race.  I managed to finish and hold onto my 3rd place position.

That race is complete and lessons were learned.  Looking forward to the East Coast Super Sprint in May.  Weather be damned for that one!

Pre-season is winding down

I'm into my last week of winter base training (see earlier post on the program from TriRadar).  Next Monday starts a 4 week plan focusing on speed and sprint format triathlons.

Again, I've picked a race and lined up a training plan to get ready for it.  End of March is the race and this 4 week plan gets me there.  Take a look.

http://mos.triradar.com/Training_Plans/Sharpen_Sprint_Speed.pdf

Author Phil Mosely writes that "during these four weeks of training I want you to separate your sessions into two main intensities: easy or hard. When I say easy, I mean easy, so save your energy for the hard stuff. It’s the hard sessions that’ll make you faster, so you need to be fresh."

This goes well with the periodization and polarization talk I posted about.  Don't train at race pace.
When you're supposed to work at easy efforts stay there.  Same with hard efforts, go all out!  Stop making the easy efforts sessions harder and the hard sessions easier. Avoid that "black hole of training".

With a race on the horizon, it's a good time to focus on those transitions.  Not just the logistics of gear, but the muscles that get engaged at T1 and T2.  Know how you'll feel and be comfortable with it so you know what's normal and what's not on race day.

Hour Of Power Triathlon Brick Workout

Since I partook in my first brick workout on the new bike, I'll post this.

Today was a Zone 2 bike day and good run. I really wanted to see how the legs were going to feel after a high cadence bike today.  Also, with a solid swim session yesterday, I was eager to see how my body was going to do with both sports after 24 hours of recovery.  The short answer to both was "awesome"!

It's never too early to start working in some brick sessions to the training.  You know, to mix things up and see how you'll adapt.

Here's a plan from Jene Shaw over at Triathlete online magazine from April 2013:

http://triathlon.competitor.com/2013/04/training/hour-of-power-triathlon-brick-workouts_74788

Training Periodization

Interesting video on periodization.

http://www.canal-insep.fr/fr/training-periodization-deep-root-cultural-heritage-and-innovative-paradigms-2013/ei_13_10_va_pr_stephen_seiler-mov

'X' is race pace

Indoor cycling workouts

If the weather is keeping you inside and you've exhausted your current stash of workouts, here's 3 that you can crush on the trainer:

http://www.usacycling.org/3-indoor-cycling-workouts-for-the-winter.htm

Try working these into your base program (you are embracing your base program right?).  See 'Remember Planning' post for the program I'm currently using.

Tip:  I set up a separate Google Calendar showing me which week and what program I'm in.  This really helps back up programs and training from your 'A' races while timing your peaks.

10 Tips For Running In The Cold from Runner's World

You don't want to, but you know you should.

http://www.runnersworld.com/running-tips/10-tips-running-cold?cm_mmc=Facebook-_-RunnersWorld-_-Content-Training-_-TipsForColdWeatherRunning

Visualization... OK, it's daydreaming

So if you're like me, you've grown antsy about wanting to race.  You might even be looking on active.com or bikereg.com for a race sooner than one in your plan and worse yet, one that you're not trained up for.

I can't sit around in some pose with nothing on around me while humming or whatever.  I thrive on music.

One method is making a playlist of songs from race videos.  From racing cyclocross this past fall, I've diligently watched all the CXHairs.com video series, "Svenness".  With a playlist on Soundcloud of the music from the videos, I can visual the races or better yet, just racing.  This playlist gets me into the mindset of thinking about powering hard through a bike session on trainer.  It also gets me amped in the car ride home from work to get on the trainer.

I'll also listen to the playlist from my runs while not running.  In fact, I have a set of 40 songs on my mp3 player that hasn't changed in over 2 years.  Sure, there's an added 2 or 3, but it's very much the same since I made it.  This allows me to get amped for an upcoming song.  Even better, when I hear these older songs, I can get in a better mindset.  There's something comforting there I guess.  I can drift off, clear my head, and think about a run, or see myself kicking it in to the finish line.

Now, the flip side.  When racing, there is no music.  Rules are rules and both USAC and USAT do not allow headphones or personal music during a race.  That's OK!  If your imagination is as vivid as mine, you won't need actual music.  You can immerse yourself in your head.   Switch up your training sessions without music to be used to it.  I've seen a lot of people post race comment on no being able to pace themselves because they didn't have their iPod or whatever.  I've even seen some people just about freak out pre race becuase an official told them that they couldn't wear their headphones.  Remember the adage:  NOTHING NEW ON RACE DAY.  If you have to train with music, be sure to train without music.

Well, that was all over the place, but hopefully you can take something away from it. Spring is almost here!

Remember planning

Plan now while you're not in the midst of spring training.  Winter base miles are boring inside.  Use that time on the trainer or treadmill while staring at the wall to come up with your A and B races.  Great article from USAT today on top 10 tips for planning your season.

http://www.usatriathlon.org/about-multisport/multisport-zone/multisport-lab/articles/triathlon-season-planning-011014.aspx

Metrics and Management

You can't manage what you don't measure. It is an old management adage that is accurate today. Unless you measure something you don't know if it is getting better or worse. You can't manage for improvement if you don't measure to see what is getting better and what isn't. 

Training tools:

• Strava w/Premium Account ($6 a month)
• Zephyr Heart Rate Monitor (Bluetooth) ($45)
• Sony Ericsson Live with Walkman (ANT+ smartphone) w/32gb SD card ($50 on ebay)
• ipBike - http://www.iforpowell.com ($7)
• Powertap ANT+ wireless speed and cadence sensor ($35)

With the amount of indoor training I do, I needed a system that measured heart rate against time or hopefully distance. ipBike on a cheap Sony Ericsson smartphone does more than a Garmin Edge 500/800 does and cheaper too!  This setup allows me to track my HR, time, and distance for indoor running (treadmill or track) as well as HR, speed, cadence, and distance for indoor bike time on the trainer.  It also has a solid setup for calculating power on the bike without the need for a costly power meter.  For the level I'm training at and competing at, this is close enough to what a $1500 power meter provides.  

Remember, the management of improvement comes during training, not during racing. So there's no need to use a costly power meter during a race.  I'll just push myself by how my body feels for the swim, bike, and run with an extra eye on my cadence during the bike.

Also, I needed an online database to store everything and review later.   While some people look down on Strava, as a training tool, it's great.  There are plenty of options out there on the webber-nets, but make sure you can upload to it from your work outs and capture as much data as you can.

The Sony Ericsson has the bonus of holding a SD card for mp3s and a builtin FM radio.  This makes runs much more enjoyable while not having to carry 2 devices to track the workout and play music.  Show me a Garmin that can do that! Load a high tempo and low tempo playlist on there.

In the end, you need a tool combo that you're comfortable with.  I can geek out on IT based solutions and programs like ipBike.  But if that's not your forte or comfort level, go with something like the Garmin ForeRunner line.

As that barista said to me last week when I ordered the Red Eye at 6AM, "go knock it out!"

Winter Base

So I should give you something to start with.

http://mos.triradar.com/Training_Plans/Build_Winter_Foundation.pdf

This is the plan I am following from Jan 1 through the end of March.  I'll share the 2 other plans soon. TriRadar.com has some great resources and tools.  Very simple approach and time manageable.

Get some!

The Intro and Plan

I've put one solid year of racing and training behind me.  Being fully into the training months, I now acknowledge that 2013 was my "base year" of training and getting to understand how to race.  Sure I was ambitious throughout last year and even posted some good finishes, but in reality, I was just figuring it all out.

Now is the time to take that rookie coat off and get into how to win.  This blog will be my journey to getting on the podium each and every race.

First step is planning.

“Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe.” 
― Abraham Lincoln

I'm realistic in setting my goals for 2014.  Last year, I was so enthralled with racing that I wanted to race everything and thought I could.  This did not work out well.  Between triathlons, duathlons, and USAC bike racing season, it would (and did) not work.  With that said, pick your "A" race.  The one that you would do if you couldn't do any others.  From there, back up your schedule with a number of smaller and less stress races.  I've chosen the USAT Olympic-Distance National Championships in Milwakuee, WI this year as I qualified with a top age group finish in a triathlon in 2013.  From there I fill in my calendar backwards off it's August 9th date with 1 (maybe 2) triathlons a month until the end of March.  So the list looks like this:

Tune Up Tri 
Manassas, VA, USA
Sun Mar 30 2014

East Coast Super Sprint
Glen Allen, VA, USA
Sun May 04 2014

Naylors Beach Triathlon
Warsaw, VA, USA
Sun Jun 08 2014

Tupper Lake Tinman Sprint
Tupper Lake, NY, USA
Sat Jun 28 2014

The 14.06 - TIN
Manassas, VA, USA
Sun Jul 27 2014

USA Triathlon’s Age Group Olympic-Distance National Championships
Milwaukee, WI, USA
Sat Aug 09 2014

6.  That's right, 6 races. All but the last are sprint or super sprint distance races.  Why?  To limit injury.  By not training for Olympic (or even longer) distance races all year, I reduce the fatigue and injury on my body.  Through this blog, I'll share how recovery and rest, along with focused workouts on speed, will increase the overall goal of being faster and winning.

Remember, I'm no expert, this is what works for me.  But hey, I just started a year ago, so I've got to be doing something right.