Big D Half Marathon Race Report

When I started planning my triathlon season back in the fall I knew I wanted half marathon a few months out from my first 70.3.  I figured it would be a good gauge of where my running was and if we were on the right path for my triathlon season.

The Big D Marathon/Half Marathon is not a huge event by any means, but still had close to 3,000 participants between the two events. It was very low key with no corrals or even a start banner. They had the timing arches setup and everyone lined up behind those. I got there about an hour before the race and parking was a breeze.  The last half marathon I did was Rock 'n Roll Phoenix in 2006 and it was a mad house. I know a lot of people love the crowds and the energy it brings, but I was excited to be able to focus on the task at hand without the worries such large events bring.

After my warm up I had about 20 minutes to go before the start of the race. I made my way to the start line. I took in a few deep breathes and walked through the race plan in my head. I have a very bad habit of going out way too fast in any running races I do. I have been able to get away with that in the 5ks, 10ks, and a few 15ks I have done. I knew if I did that here it was going to be a recipe for disaster.  I knew I would have to hold back and not get caught up in the mix of runners going out faster than me.  The plan was to go out and run 6:40s for the first 6 miles and then pick it up from mile 6-10. Then the last three miles was give it all I got.  With a few minutes to go I line up in the front and look up to the sky. I thank God for being there these last few months and getting me to the start line.

The gun goes off and away we go. I settle into a comfortable pace and let a group of about 10-15 runners go. The marathon and half started together and didn't know who was who in the front group.  When I signed up for the race I read that it was a flat and fast course. After about a mile I found out it wasn't as flat as I anticipated.  That was okay though! I just kept the effort where it needed to be and focused on my turnover and form.  Before the race Torsten told me to run the first six in a controlled sustainable effort feeling I could run a lot faster. That was definitely where I was at.  Within the first few miles a couple guys passed me and I let them go.  As I got to mile six I had one of the guys that passed me in my sights.  It was time to increase the effort a bit and I got on his heels for about thirty seconds before I was able to comfortably pass him and create a gap.  As I continued to hold the effort the course turned slightly uphill at mile eight and continued like that for a little over a mile. At this point the quads are starting to burn, but the form and turnover was still there.  On the hill I passed a few others and by the time I got to mile 10 I wasn't sure how many were in front of me.  However, it was time to find another gear and get going! I picked up the pace and when I found a course volunteer I asked how many were in front of me. He said there were six men and I could see three of them up the road a ways.  Within another mile I got on the heels of another racer for about a 1/2 mile and when we got to an aid station he walked it and I just grabbed a water at pace and never looked back!  With two miles to go I could see Fair Park and for me it is always an energy boost to see the finish area.  I was definitely hurting at this point, but there was not going to be any let up.  With about a 1/2 mile to go I saw fourth place overall ahead of me. I looked back to see if anyone was behind me and there wasn't. I knew this was my chance to see if I had any kick left to catch him. If I did it was going to be a big confidence booster for future races. If I didn't it would be a lesson learned, but I wouldn't have lost any places in the race.  I went for it and with about a 1/4 mile I passed him on an uphill and kept the foot on the gas. I crossed the finish line in 1:28:20 and ten seconds ahead of the guy I passed. Come to find out at awards he was in my age group and that pass put me in fourth overall and first in my age group.

This race was a definite confidence booster for me and can't wait to take what I learned and apply it in future racing!

Taking The Handcuffs Off!

Winners embrace hard work. They love the disciples of it, the trade-off they're making to win. Losers, on the other hand, see it as punishment. And that's the difference. - Lou Holtz

Do you want to be the best you can be at triathlon? If so it takes sacrifice and getting out of your comfort zone. Not everyone is willing to do it, but we are all capable.

When I switched to my new Coach Torsten Abel I had a choice to make. I would either give him restrictions on my training in regards to time, what I don't like to do, etc, or I would give him full control. Some of you may be thinking why would someone  handcuff their coach, but many athletes do.

There was no...

• I don't have time for that. 
• I don't need to swim that much, because it is only a small % of the overall race
• I want to do this group ride/run/masters
• I hate running hills.
• I am not running that slow.
• I am not going to let the senior citizen group pass me during my ride.
• I want to ride with my friends all the time.
• I don't do recovery days.
• I don't want to do drills in the pool.
• My running form is fine; I don't need to work on it.
• Coach wants me to do this today, but I am going to swap it with my workout later in the week.

 

That is just a small sampling of things that you hear triathletes saying.  This is further proof that not everyone is willing to do everything necessary to get faster and be a better athlete.

There is a reason that the top pros and age groupers are so accomplished.. It is due to the immense time and effort they put into their training (workouts, recovery, nutrition). Yes, there are those that have natural ability; however, most bust their asses day in and day out.

Some people want it to happen, some wish it would happen, others make it happen. - Michael Jordan

Happy training!

Nowhere To Hide!

A few days ago I found myself out on the Sonoran Parkway putting in a solid hour at Tempo effort. On most days the parkway is the place to go when you want to lay down some focused training miles! 7.5 miles of smooth, fast, and uninterrupted pavement!  It was still smooth and uninterrupted, but definitely not fast! The winds were whipping from all directions, but that wasn't going to stop me from getting out there and doing my training.

I find it very interesting that in a sport like triathlon where you are meant to ride by yourself; that so many athletes ride with groups on a regular basis.  I am not saying group rides are a bad thing, but when that is your only type of riding it definitely puts you at a disadvantage during a race.

I personally ride alone a lot for a few reasons. The first being there is nowhere to hide when the going gets tough!  Too many times I hear athletes freaking out when the forecast calls for wind on race day.  It doesn't have to be that way!

When you are riding with a group and the wind picks up many athletes will duck in behind another rider and take advantage of the draft.  If you are out to excel on race day then that is definitely not the thing you want to do.  When riding alone you have no choice but to battle the wind.  Not only will battling the wind teach you to handle your bike better, but it will make you mentally stronger! That way on race day when your competitors are on edge due to the conditions. You can think back on all those times you suffered alone and know you are well prepared. Below is a note from my coach on yesterdays workout.
  
"well done on keeping the wattage band smooth and flat. You are showing good cycling skills, Brian. I like it very much. Despite winds and some rollers your power output stayed constant. The winds are actually good training for St.George." Coach Torsten Abel

I always am more confident with my ability on race day when I can go out and execute a key workout in non optimal conditions.  

 The second being that if you are going to race in the aero position you should train in the aero position! Your body needs to get used to that position, and you recruit different muscles when in aero. If you are riding with a group the only time you should be in the aero is if you are off the front.  The rest of the time you should be sitting up and last time I checked you don't race your tri bike sitting up!

Like I said above riding with the group is not always a bad thing!  Group rides definitely have a place in most athletes training regime. There is the social aspect, bike handling skills, and riding with a group can help push you at times.

So ride with the group, but don't forget to log your solo miles to help better prepare you for race day!

Looking forward to 2015!

With 2015 upon us, it is time to start thinking about races and goals. Most of us started this process at the end of last year, but there are many who haven't even thought about it.

I have already set my goals for 2015 and chosen the races that will help me achieve them. Some of you are wondering what I mean by "the races that will help me achieve those goals."? The races I have picked to be"A" races will help me reach my #1 goal in 2015, which is to qualify for 70.3 Worlds in Austria and 70.3 Worlds in Mooloolaba. If the race isn't an "A" race then it is a "B" or "C" and has been chosen to ensure it doesn't interfere with me reaching the ultimate goal of getting to 70.3 worlds. Too many athletes pack their race schedules and never take into consideration how each race may have a negative impact on their main goal. Also, if you are coached make sure to run your schedule by your coach. They are there to help with your season planning and should be able to identify scheduling conflicts with races, training, and recovery. If they are not willing to help you or just accept it without any discussion then it might be time to hire another coach.

I know there are those out there that just like to race and that is ok. However, if you are out to improve your race results, qualify for various events, etc... make sure you map out your season in a way it will help you reach those goals!

My Race Schedule
Badger Cove Half Marathon
70.3 St. George
70.3 Boise
ITU Worlds Chicago
Life Time Tempe
70.3 Austin

USAT Age Group Nationals

Have you ever wanted to see how you stack up against the top short course athletes in the United States? If so, USAT Age Group Nationals is the event for you! I know, I know there are some of you who think that it is "just" an Olympic and/or Sprint.  It may just be an Olympic and Sprint, but you can't show up to this race and lay down a 2:10-2:15 Oly or a 1:07-1:10 Sprint and think you will be near the top of most of the men's age groups. This was especially true for the 35-39 age group. 

One of the great things I love about Nationals is you have to be a well rounded triathlete to earn a spot on Team USA.  This year was even more competitive with the ITU Grand Finale being hosted in Chicago next year.  I came into the Olympic distance knowing I would need to blow my Oly PR away if I had any shot at the top 25 in my age group.  In 2013 you had to go a 2:05 or faster to earn a spot so, that was the time I had in my head going into the race.  My goal was to swim a sub 23, bike an hour or under, and run like I was being chased by a cheetah.

Throw in 3-4 minutes of total transitions and that left me running a sub 40:00 10k.

This year I got lucky and the 35-39 wave was the first wave of the day so, I would know exactly where I was in the field throughout the race.  When I came out of the water the volunteers were yelling out positions and I was 63rd out of the water with a time of 22:52. Goal of sub 23 checked off in my head. That still left me with a lot of work to do on the bike and run.  Once on the bike I didn't feel quite like myself and my power #s showed that, but I wasn't going to let that get to me mentally.  I worked my way up to 33rd on the bike with a time of 1:00.  Now it was time to see what the legs had for the run.  I ran myself from 33rd in my age group to 53rd with a time of 42:40.  The cheetah definitely got me!  I did end up with an Olympic distance PR and am very happy with that!

 

Now back to how FAST this event is and how well rounded you have to be. 1st in my age group went a 1:51:44 and 8th went 1:59:46. That left 12 spots for us mortals over the 2:00 mark. This year those twelve spots were separated by two minutes and 42 seconds! As you can see there is very little room for error.  Even if I hit my goal of 2:05 I would have missed out on a Team USA slot in the Olympic, but I know no matter what I got my ass kicked by some of the best.

With the Olympic done it was time to focus on the Sprint.  In my eight years of racing I have only raced on back to back days once, but there was not much on the line the second day of that double. Sunday was a different story! I had one goal in the Sprint and that was to go top 25.  Last year I went a 1:07 and was 11th in my age group. Again with Worlds being in the United States I knew I would need to do better than that.

My wave was the eighth of the day, but there was a 20 minute gap from the previous wave. The gun went off and to my surprise I felt really good in the water. I came out of the water in 11:47, but had no idea where I was in the field. I got on the bike and again felt pretty good given that I raced the day before. My 30:14 bike moved me from 33rd to 11th in my AG, but had no idea at the time. I threw my running shoes on and was hell bent on not getting passed.  I ended up running a 19:53. Got passed by two guys, but passed one at the half way point and held him and a few others off for 12th in my age group! I ended up with a 1:05:24 and a 2:00 PR from the previous year. Thankfully I had that PR in me since my time from last year would have left me outside of the top 25.

I had four goals coming into the weekend: Qualify for Team USA, PR the Olympic, run a sub 40 10k, and PR the Sprint.  With three of the goals reached; the weekend was successful, but I am not satisfied!   I still have a lot of work to do on my run. I am ready for the challenge and can't wait to work my ass off to get there.

My Nutrition Costs How Much!?!?

Over the past few weeks I have had a lot of discussions with friends about Generation UCAN and the benefits. One of the comments I hear is, "Sounds great, but wow is it expensive!".  Well I am here to tell you that in the end it is cheaper than most other sports nutrition products on the market.

One of the benefits of Generation UCAN is that you don't need to consume as many calories as you would if you were using traditional gels, drinks, blocks, bars, etc...  The "Superstarch", which is the main ingredient in Generation UCAN allows you to do a lot more with significantly less.

Below is the breakdown of different length of workouts

Four Hour Bike

Generation UCAN

Pre-Workout - Two scoops of Chocolate Protein - $5.20
During - Two scoops of CranRaz - $4.00
Post-Workout - One scoop of Chocolate Protein - $2.40

Total Cost of workout...$11.60

Typical Nutrition Options On The Market

Pre-Workout - Bar- $1.40

During - Hour 1 - Three gels - $3.90
Hour 2 - Blocks/Chews - $2.29
Hour 3 - Sport Drink - $2.23
Hour 4 - Three gels - $3.90

Post Workout - Recovery Mix - $2.28

Total Cost of Workout - $16.00

Two Hour Bike

Generation UCAN

Pre - One scoop of CranRaz - $2.00
During - Water
Post-Workout - One scoop of Chocolate Protein - $2.40

Total Cost of Workout - $4.40

Typical Nutrition Options On The Market

During - Hour 1 - Two gels - $2.60
Hour 2 - Sport Drink - $2.23
Post Workout - Chocolate Milk - $1.25

Total Cost of Workout - $6.08

I know this sport is expensive, but to fork over $16.00 for nutrition during a four hour workout is ridiculous!  Not only is Generation UCAN easier on the stomach, but it is a little easier on the wallet compared to traditional nutrition products.

Going Gluten Free

Over the past month, I have made the transition to a gluten free diet. Not because I have a gluten allergy, but because of some issues I have been having with my body.  Back in 2007, I had an MRI on my back and was diagnosed with degeneration of L4/5.  The pain in the back eventually went away, but this past October it the pain came back with a vengeance!  From October until January, I tried about everything to reduce the pain. Slept on a piece of plywood, inversion table, yoga, stretching, dry needling, PT, and probably a few other things I can't recall.

My PT, Jon Davison, at ProActive recommended I get an epidural. He referred me over to the Integrative Pain Center next door.  I chatted with the doc about all the issues I have had over the past few years, including my back.  He was on board with the epidural, but he suggested I try a few other things. The first was a diet high in anti-inflammatory foods.  For those that know me well, this is something I already do.  The second thing was trying a gluten free diet.  At first I was hesitant, but I told him I would look into it.  With that discussion over, we scheduled an MRI to rule out any major issues prior to the epidural.  Within a few days I was back in getting the epidural.

Over the next few days after the epidural, I started reading up on endurance athletes that have gone gluten free.  The first article I came across was "Should You Become A Gluten Free Athlete" by Caitlan Chock.  There isn't a lot of scientific data in the article, but it does talk about top athletes that have made the switch with great success.  The biggest benefit of the gluten free diet is reducing the amount of inflammation that is in the body, but that isn't the only benefit! I will discuss more about that below.

After reading the article, I started searching for gluten free options of the foods I like and come to find out I already eat a diet low in gluten, but not completely void of gluten.  Since it wasn't going to be a huge deal to switch, I decided to make the switch on February 8th and haven't looked back!  Working from home made the switch even easier, but I have traveled a few times since the 8th and found it easy to eat gluten free on the road.  Most restaurants have gluten free menus, but if they don't most will have gluten free options on their menu.

Foods I eat on a regular basis....
Quino
Sweet Potatoes
Rice (White & Brown)
Gluten free pancakes (They are actually really good!)
Fruits (Bananas, strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, cherries, rasberries)
Veggies (kale, collard greens, spinach, bell peppers, carrots, mushrooms, beets, avocados)
Oils (EVO, Grapeseed, Coconut)
Eggs
Chicken
Fish
Steak
Coconut Milk
Almond Milk
Cashews
Almonds
Walnuts


Have I felt different since I went gluten free?  Going gluten free requires you to make better choices when it comes to food.  Most processed foods and junk food contain gluten. I wasn't a big junk food guy to begin with, but this really helps keep me away from it when I have cravings.  I now eat cleaner and healthier than I ever have before.  This will hopefully lead to better performance, recovery, and overall health!

If you want your body to perform like a formula one race car you have to fuel with nutrient rich foods!  Ask yourself this each time you reach for that unhealthy item.  "Will this help me reach my goals?"  If the answer is no, put it down!  It takes commitment and can be hard at times, but if you are serious about reaching your goals whatever those may be you will stick to it.  There is a reason that America is fat, and that is because it is EASY to eat horrible.

Happy eating!