Long Branch Triathlon Series - Not Speedy, But Consistent

This week I finally decided to break my 3 year triathlon "fast" and registered for the Long Branch Sprint Triathlon Series. Went for the longer course, naturally, with about 600 yards of swimming, 20.6 miles of cycling, and 5 miles of running. I had A LOT of questions surrounding this race...

1) The bike itself. With a new fork installed and only a couple of rides on it, will it stay in one piece for the race?

2) My current fitness level. Three years of "mega" long slow distance training for ultramarathons does not translate well into a sprint triathlon. Picture a huge powerful semi-truck entered into the Indianapolis 500 among all those sleek cars.

3) My bike fitness is a HUGE question mark. With the bike only operational the past 3 weeks and only a couple of rides during that time, is a can of WD-40 needed to shake out the rust in my cycling legs?

Soooo...

I took it all in stride and just told myself to go fast until I fade, then act as if I was going fast. Of course this strategy was not going to give me an age group award, but I can still hope, right?

The day dawned nice and bright and got my butt down to Long Branch. Just as I was setting up my bike, the town's sprinkler system activated within the transition area, pelting unsuspecting athletes with jets of water, prompting a little bit of a panic among the masses. The officials had to swoop down and put cones on each sprinkler to stop the liquid conflagration from spraying water on those $7000 bikes.

And although that stopped the water from flying everywhere, the water started to exact its revenge by pooling into strategic areas where running shoes and shirts were placed, giving the triathletes a rude surprise during the race as they tried to put soaked shoes on their feet.

One thing I did was make sure that all of my stuff was placed above my bag so that only the bag got wet, not my critical clothes.

Once set up, the question of the minute was "wetsuit or not".

It's a 600 yard swim. Plus, my current wetsuit is notorious for clinging to me like crazy glue, so I decided to ditch the wetsuit for this swim.

As I arrived onto the beach I found that I would be in the third wave. OK, no problem as I scouted the buoys that made up the swim course. Two yellow ones on the right, and several red ones on the left. A typically easy course. Swim to the yellow buoys first, turn at the second yellow buoy, swim across to the red buoys, then turn for home.

Sounds straightforward, right?

Well, as the first wave turned at the second yellow buoy, that buoy had other ideas and started to drift away from shore. Looks like the second wave (the long course women) was going to have to deal with a longer course.

And of course, as the second wave came through that buoy, the buoy drifted even father out from shore lengthening the course even more for the third wave.

I was in that third wave.

A nervous laughter filtered through my wave as the buoy was hightailing it for France while the women were swimming after it.

Maybe I should have taken that wetsuit after all.

As we went off I quickly got into my customary position in the front of the wave. I might not be as fit as other triathletes, but I can still swim better than 90% of them.

I got past the first buoy without much pushing and shoving and made my way to the rebellious buoy which thankfully was replaced back to a more manageable position by the time I got there.

No incidents happened during the rest of the swim, but I was constantly bombarded by jellyfish as I made my way back toward shore.

Thankfully, these didn't sting.

I made my way toward the bike, got on my stuff, and said a quick Hail Mary as I got on my bike, hoping it didn't fall apart on the course.

Within a mile, my bike started falling apart.

Actually, the problem happened in an unusual area. As I was riding, a ring near the hub of my front wheel suddenly came loose and was dangling on the skewer. Thinking the worst, I stopped in front of Seven Presidents Park to take a look.

Apparently, all that was needed for the ring was to be screwed back into the hub. after hand-tightening the ring into place I got back on the bike and started off again, I lost about 2 minutes in the process.

But the bike rode well the rest of the way. In fact, it passed the test with flying colors.

Although I wish I can say that with my bike fitness.

The bike course was 2 loops around the area. I rode like a monster during the first loop. The second loop? When my eyes started to fall into the back of my head from the effort, I knew I was in over my head and had to slow a bit for the last 5 miles of the course.

I got back to transition, quickly pulled my running shoes on, and started onto the flat and fast 5 mile course.

OK, not fast in my case. But all the miles of running that I've been doing do tend to pay off in a bit of a different way. Although I barely broke 8 minutes per mile on my pace, I knew that I can hold that pace indefinitely. I basically knew what time I was going to finish by the 2nd mile of the course.

I stopped the clock at 1:47:45, according to my watch.

All in all, it was a great experience. Despite some minor hiccups, the race organization was impeccable, as I would always expect from Doug Rice and the Sandy Hooker Triathlon Club.

As for me, this definitely paves the way for my plans for 2012. The outcome of a certain lottery in November will depend on whether I'll be primarily training for triathlons or ultramarathons. If the outcome favors triathlons, expect me to be seriously training for them in 2012.

When a Race Has Too Many Unknown Variables...Wing It!

Hope Pass, the highest point of the Leadville Trail 100 (12,600 ft). My goal is to get my pacer to get a picture of me in a similar photo...and to finish the race of course!

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When it comes to training and racing, I am never a patient guy.

I am also very meticulous in planning for big races, so that I have a set strategy and every factor is covered during the race.

Twenty years of training and racing triathlons and marathons has set me up as such. And all these races have a lot of things in common, such as a standard distance, standard transitions, standard surface type most (road), etc. Yes, there are differences, such as in elevation, but such variables are small enough to be handled by the right strategy.

But in the dark realm of ultras, the variables are very different for each race. And they are frequently extreme. Massanutten is known for its extensive rocky trails. Leadville is known for its high altitude and hilly terrain. Badwater is known for its intense heat.

I've come to the realization that most ultramarathoners really cannot cover all of these variables when they train for these races. But most experienced ultramarathoners will finish these races and finish them well despite the extreme factors.

So how do they do it?

It takes a trip to the Catskills this past week to give me some realizations on how to approach these races. You see, my upcoming Leadville Trails 100 Mile Ultramarathon in August is literally on the top of the Rocky Mountains. The elevation changes and the high altitude combine to provide a formidable challenge for runners attempting to finish this race.

Course elevation for Leadville (out and back course).

The Catskills are a great place to go for mountain training, but the Catskill Mountains pale in comparison to the Rockies. I simply cannot even come close to the conditions at Leadville.

The elevation changes in the Rockies are much more extreme than the Catskills. Although 1000+ feet climbs are the norm in the Catskills, elevation changes in the Rockies are much more extreme. The brutal first climb up to the highest point on the course, Hope Pass (the right peak on the above graph) is over 3000 ft. in elevation. Most of the peaks in the Catskills are only about 3000 ft! There is no possible way to train for that climb.

Most of the race course is also over 10,000 feet in elevation. Hope Pass is a towering 12,600 feet above sea level, and I have to go over it twice. At that elevation, the lack of oxygen might become a bit of a problem during the race.

And unless I hold my breath for the duration of my training runs, there is really no possible way I can train for altitude.

Sure, I can try to mimic the low oxygen environment by buying expensive barometric tents or re-breather devices that try to create the high altitude environment. But even those devices are a bad substitute for the real thing; I've seen evidence that most of these devices aren't really effective at all.

I faced a similar circumstance with Massanutten this spring. With the exception of taking the 50 mile trip to Bear Mountain every single day, how was I supposed to train and be ready for Massanutten's extremely rocky course?

How do other ultramarathoners prepare for these extremes?

Simple, they can "wing it".

Heck, if you cannot adequately prepare for the extreme challenges of the course, it's time to improvise!

Triathletes can plan a great deal for their races. So can marathoners. Most of these races do not have the extreme challenges that ultras have, so it's quite easy to mimic course conditions in local neighborhoods. They are the best in planning their race strategies months in advance of their race, and can train adequately for the challenges involved in those races.

Although some ultramarathoners do try to plan for the challenges in their upcoming ultras, most really cannot totally plan for the extreme conditions they face in these races. As a result, they'll need to quickly adjust to any adverse condition facing them. The truly great ultramarathoners are experts at solving problems on the spot as they arise. They can be extremely tolerant and patient. They can access their current situation, identify any challenges that they currently face, and then proceed to adjust their strategy accordingly. Ultramarathoners are the best at being patient and solving their problems as they arise in a rational and logical way.

It's the patience thing that I have to work on here.

I do have some patience, but 100 mile ultramarathons require a lot more patience than I can normally tolerate. And when my patience runs out, I can start making some "less than intelligent" decisions that can put me in a worse state. And that can cascade out of control until I DNF.

So, the overall strategy for Leadville is the complete opposite of my strategy for Massanutten...to keep it simple, keep it patient, and try to solve every problem as they arise.  It would never be my main strategy in any of the triathlons that I've done, but hey, considering the circumstances involved, this will have to be my strategy for Leadville. 

All the planning in the world is not going to get me through this race in August. But perseverence will. Better to just keep it simple and try adapt to the conditions as they present themselves. It is a tough strategy for a "Type A" competitive triathlete to accept. But I think I'm finally coming to terms with this new philosophy now. It worked very well in Vermont last year.

Chances are that it will work for me in Leadville this year as well.

Thoughts - June 21 - "Anti-Tempo" Runs

I've always wanted to try running around the perimeter of Staten Island for years now.

I figure Staten Island is small enough to make the run possible, but long enough for it to be a real challenge.

The route that I took is about 35.5 miles, according to Gmaps Pedometer.

The big question was the logistics. Everything would need to be self-supported. But the beauty of Staten Island lies in its many bagel shops lining the main roads. I didn't need to carry a Camelbak full of food and water with me. All I needed was a bottle that fits into my hand and a small pouch.

Inside the pouch was a cell phone (for emergencies), a Metrocard (in case I needed to bail and take the bus back, and $20 (for buying the essentials at the shops).

I started at the God-awful time of 3:30AM, which, perhaps was the toughest part of the run. No, I'm not kidding. Waking up was probably harder than actually running the 35 miles. I guess once I got moving I was OK for the rest of the run.

The course that I took is here... http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=4591041 .

I need to get a good diet of these long runs in. Although there is a good dose of physical benefits that I get when running 6+ hours, it is mainly the mental benefits that I'm focused on.

I come from a triathlon background. And any triathlon up to and including the Ironman distance is speed based.

That means I get a bit antsy when running at such a sloth-like slow speed. In fact, I feel there is a tug of war going on in my head, with one side trying to get me to run faster. It's always been a huge fight to reign in my long runs and keep it at when feels to be a "ridiculously easy" pace.

Yesterday was no exception.

For the first 15 miles I had to be very conscious about keeping my pace slow. After hitting the 30 mile mark, all that effort to keep it easy started to pay off.

My legs did start to stiffen up at that point, but I still had the strength to maintain the pace that I was going. Indefinitely. In other words, I didn't burn out my legs in the beginning by going fast.

That is what got me through Vermont, and this is what is going to get me through Leadville.

It's basically a different approach than Massanutten in May. And although my toe killed my race, I still am not sure if the more aggressive strategy would have worked there.

This is what fascinates me about these 100 mile races. All my training, all my methods, my strategies that I have learned from other races, mean nothing at this distance. And in some cases, I need to do the OPPOSITE of what I've learned in training and coaching in order to do well in the race.

I think that is why I call these training runs of longer than 30 miles "anti-tempo runs."

Normal tempo runs are run at a pace faster than the comfortable pace so that one can condition himself for that pace in competition, whether it be a 5k race or a marathon.

"Anti-tempo" runs are run SLOWER than the comfortable race, but for the same reason. So that I can condition myself to run at that pace over the 100 mile distance. Whereas most people try to condition themselves over their maximum comfortable pace to prepare for shorter races, I have to condition myself to comfortably run UNDER my MINIMUM comfortable pace to prepare for the 100 mile distance.

It's certainly fascinating how polar-opposite these 100 milers are to shorter conventional races, and to conventional wisdom.

But it drives the point home. I do not want to go out too hard in Leadville. I have to be really conscious of my pace and keep it really easy for the first 30-40 or so miles. After that, the fatigue will take over the pace and I should be OK (it'll be safe knowing I cannot go faster at that point). The long training runs will help me be mentally comfortable with the "ridiculously easy" pace.

I got about 2-3 of these "anti-tempo" runs left (as well as a slew of 20 milers and some mountain hiking) before Leadville. After which I *should* be ready to feel at ease with this "ridiculously easy" pace.

And just like the story "The Tortoise and the Hare", this Tortoise is going to fare well in Leadville if he sticks to his plan!

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Let me keep this short and sweet...

Friday Night is the short Group Trail Run at High Rock. 7pm. Come join us!

Saturday morning is the group bike ride into the Palisades. Meet at the ferry at 6:30AM. Hopefully we'll start at Battery park at 7AM.

Sunday is an 8-10 mile trail run along the White Trail at 8AM. Please park at Willowbrook Park (Richmond Ave. entrance). I'll see if I can fill up a 5 gallon jug with water for after the run. I'll also have some food available.

Thoughts - June 15 - Certifications?

I know I'm going to catch a little flak on this, but then again, I like to rock the boat of "established principles" a little, so that people can actually wake up from their everyday distractions and think critically on a topic they never did before.

The topic here is coaching "certification".

Let me ask you a question. Which coach would you decide on going to? The one with 5 different certifications to his name? Or the one that your friends recommended after fulfilling their Ironman goals?

One of the things I learned from my father is that "word of mouth" is the most powerful marketing tool one can ever have in promoting his/her business. My father has owned a carpet installation business for 40 years and because of his excellent work never had to spend a cent in advertising at all. On top of that, repeat customers from decades ago still come to him to replace their old carpet with a new one.

I tend to join him in mirroring his business model. I don't advertise much and I let my athletes do the talking. 

At one time, I thought that certification was the way to a successful business. I thought if I had a USAT Triathlon Coach certification, a USA Swimming certification, a USATF Running Certification, and an ISSA fitness trainer certification, that I would look impressive on a business card. Impressive enough for customers to flock to my door.

Business doesn't work that way. People respond to RESULTS, not titles.

The certification process is so simple that anyone with a basic knowledge of training can get them. As long as you have the money to shell out, that piece of paper is as good as yours.

And in order to keep that piece of paper, you continue to shell out the bucks every couple of years on Contiuing Education Credits, which are simply videos that you can purchase online and answer a couple of softball questions to show your knowledge in what the video shows you.

"But don't you get insurance from certification authorities?", you might ask.

Well yes, but with so many holes in them that they look like swiss cheese. For example,  the USA Triathlon Certification provides coaching insurance for their certified coaches...but it only works with athletes who are also USA Triathlon members. 

Now I coach a lot of beginners toward their first triathlon. I'm to force them into a USA Triathlon membership before they even get a chance to participate in the sport?

Let's call most of these certifications what they really are. They are a money-maker all right...for the certification authorities!

All they really have to do is sit back, let some cheap software print out the certificates, then mail it to you.

Once I saw the writing on the wall (and my diminished wallet), I decided to let these expirations expire one at a time. And saved a bundle of money in the process.

Which paid for my own private insurance. And one that covers just about everybody I train.

My dear old Dad was right after all. Base the business by results, not titles. And do such a good job that people will come back to you time and time again, with their friends in tow.

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Last reminder for the New York City Ironman and Ironman Mont Tremblant. Registration opens at noon today. The field will fill very fast, so make sure you're online at exactly 12 noon today or you'll miss out.

Regarding the swims clinics at Great Kills Park. All swim clinics will start at 10AM, when the lifeguard is on duty. The transitions clinics will be an hour afterward, after the swim clinics are over. The cost is only $15 to attend and are great for those who either have a fear for the open water, want to improve on your sight-seeing, or want to become more effective in not-so-perfect conditions.

Friday Night Group Trail Runs are at the High Rock Parking Lot starting the week. They are free to join, and all abilities are welcome. The run starts at 7pm.

Thoughts - June 14 - Ironman New York

I have a slew of information that I want to share, but I try to keep my blogs from being lengthy.

So I'll do the next best thing. I'll run a rapid series of shorter blogs for this week, keeping the topics short and to the point.

The first such topic is the newly proposed Ironman in New York City for 2012. 

Now unlike a significant number of athletes who criticize the race, I do like Ironman. Their fees might be high, but they do happen to take care of the athletes from start to finish, and I've had no complaints at all when I did their races.

Plus, in the world of economics, if the demand is there, the price is justified. For those who regularly criticize the prices, sorry. You can always choose to do other iron distance triathlons that cost half as much. The Great Floridian Triathlon is one of them. The Full Vineman in California is another such race.

With that little rant out of the way,  I wasn't surprised when I saw the proposed fee for the Ironman in New York City. As a matter of fact, my first reaction was laughter.

The race will cost about $1000 to enter.

Heck, figure in the high cost of living in New York and New Jersey, the tons of permits that they had to obtain from those two states. Oh, and you got to figure in the bribes and kickbacks they had to shell out also. Heck, these are two big government states after all, right?

Also figure in all those people who can shell out the bucks also. Yep, those in the financial sector who benefitted from the huge TARP bailouts that were given to them by the taxpayer. 

Add in all of the above and you got the perfect storm for a huge entry fee.

Although I had a fleeting interest in doing a race like this in my backyard, the $1000 fee is just a tad too expensive for my tastes.

Also, all of the Ironman triathlons I did (6 in all) were *waaaaaay* outside of the tri-state area (British Columbia, New Zealand, Kentucky). In fact I had to fly out to all of them. This was a good thing because I treated these races as a vacation to get away from the tri-state area. Traveling every so often is a good thing; these races were an excuse to get away from the daily grind.

Although I am excited that an Ironman is in my backyard, I still had reservations against entering the race, even if the fee was only $500. It would not be classified as a "get away" race in my personal book. If I had a choice of Ironman, I would definitely choose to go to Ironman Mont Tremblant instead for the travel (the Ironman race up in Mont Tremblant, Quebec was also created at the same time as New York City). I've never been up to Mont Tremblant before, and heard it's a beautiful area.

That is, if I wanted to do Ironman again. Right now, the desire is just not there yet. Give it some time though, and I might enter one within the next few years.

Besides, I'm doing the double ironman race in October anyway. I figure an Ironman just isn't enough anymore. :-)

Still, I will definitely be out there that day cheering people on. And for those who brave the fee and enter this race, I wish you well with your training and with your race!

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For those who want to enter Ironman New York City, the entry process starts at noon on June 15. Ironman Mont Tremblant also opens up at the same time, in case you want to do the "travel to a beautiful area" thing.

Every Friday night during the summer, we will be having a group trail run through the Greenbelt. Although we started on Manor Rd., we will move the run over to the High Rock Parking Lot this Friday (June 17). The runs are about 4-6 miles. Although we held at 4 miles the last 2 weeks, the new location will help us extend those runs to 6 miles for those who want the extra couple of miles on the trails. It was hard to extend the runs when we started on Manor Rd. due to the combination of the confusing trails in that area and the waning daylight. 

The calendar to the right here has been filled for the summer with events that I'll be doing. Go ahead and take a look! There are group bike rides, group weekend trail runs, and some swim clinics for those who want to improve their triathlon swim times. If interested, come on down; I'll be glad to have you!

Thoughts - June 3 - The Summer Begins, Tri-ing the 70.3

It's been about 3 weeks since my last posting as I lick my wounds from the Massanutten DNF and recover from the broken toe. I've finally started to put a full week of running this week to get myself ready for Leadville (2009 video).

This time, injury or not, I'm getting to that finish line.

I understand that DNFs are part of the process, but they never really sit well with me.

So Leadville is the current target. The fact that two other people will be flying out there with me to aid me is also more reason to finish this race. Granted, it's going to be a great week out west with both of these guys, but I know finishing the race will make it all the more worthwhile.

Leadville isn't the only race on the calendar either.

I do have several triathlons, runs, and swims that are included also. I rebuilt my bike for that reason alone, to keep my triathlon base active as I pursue the ultramarathons.

There might also be a half-ironman in September also.

There is an ulterior motive for that half Ironman...the Survival of the Shawangunks Triathlon (SOS). The only time I raced it I loved it. I also came in 6th overall that year, and I performed well in that race. It is a highly unusual race in that the bike comes first, then we run and swim through the various trails and lakes until we get to Skytop Tower at the top of the Gunks. The swim, which is historically my strongest discipline, actually appears in the latter half of the race (instead of first). With that I was able to power through that race very well.

In order to get into the race in 2012, I need to have completed a half-ironman in the last 2 years. That is why I need to do a half-ironman this year.

Although a sub 5 hour Ironman is probably a tall order, I know I can easily crack 5:30 and qualify for the SOS.

The Half-Ironman I'm looking at is on the Shoreman Half-Ironman in NJ on September 10.

It sounds like a very flat course, the venue being close to Atlantic City, but that would hopefully make for a very fast bike and run split.

It would be my first half-ironman in about a decade.

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I will be starting group trail runs on Friday nights during the summer. For the first 2 weeks we will begin on Manor Road in front of the JCC and utilize the trail there. After 2 weeks, thanks to the Greenbelt Conservancy, she has invited us over to the High Rock Parking lot for the rest of the summer.

Which is great since the course is basically the same, but from the other end.

After August, when the daylight is curtailed, I might have to change the venue to maybe the Fitness Path along Forest Hill Road. Sure, it's not true trail running, but it's the next best thing.

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Speaking of the Gunks, there is also a Fat Ass 25k/50k in the Gunks on June 11. This race is organized by one of the NY Flyers club, and is free, although a nominal donation is recommended. Let me know if you're interested and I'll give you the gory details of that race.

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The folks who put on the Holiday Marathons in Van Cortlandt Park are putting on a Woodstock of sorts of running in upstate NY in late July. It's called the Catskill Running Festival and it sounds to be a great week of running the trails up in the Catskills. I will be going down there for 3 days and participate in 2 of the longer trail runs there. Check out the website and let me know if you're going.

Massanutten - No Finish, But An Interesting Idea To Try

But, but, but, I thought your toe was healed...

LOL, no, it wasn't, and it played right into the course's hands too.

This is going to be an interesting write-up, because I have a lot of things that I am mulling about after pulling out of the race at mile 19.

First off, it seems like toes don't heal very quickly. Yes, I had the ability of running on a bad toe last week, and it was acceptable, but the flare-ups should have told me that the toe wasn't fully healed yet. Generally, broken bones usually take about 6 weeks to heal.

Combine that with a relentless, rocky course and I had problems right from the start. Big ones.

Even before the race it affected my decision in which shoes to wear. Before the race, I had bought a New Balance minimalist pair of shoes for the trail 5 weeks before. Finding the shoe to be bothersome to my injured toe, I was forced to opt for the regular clumsy conventional shoes to protect that toe. I knew that this decision would come with a high risk of inverting an ankle, but it was the only pair that my feet felt comfortable in.

Wearing these shoes, right from the start of the trail section, I knew I was going to have problems. We hit the trail at about 4:45AM, when it was still dark, and I had trouble finding the best footing through the rocky sections. As a result, I was constantly landing hard on my bad toe. Well, the toe kind of decided after a little abuse that it had enough.

I can understand. If somebody keeps punching me in the head, I'd start getting upset also.

After a while the toe started to throb. This started to cause me to compensate by not rolling off that toe. Instead, I was rolling more toward the outside, where the smaller toes were. 

With the clumsy conventional shoes and the wrongful rolling of my foot, I must have twisted my right ankle at least 4 times on the trail.

Secondly, at about mile 15, coming down a hill, I smacked my toe against a rock, hard. Seeing stars, I almost fell off the trail and hobbled to a halt waiting for the pain to go away.

The last 4 miles were rough walking. Coming to an aid station, I knew I had to cut my losses and end it there before I really got hurt. It's a tough decision to make that early in the race, but I saw the writing on the wall and decided to call it a day.

Taking my socks off, I immediately saw my toe bent in toward the rest of the toes. The nurse at the aid station also saw this and suggested I go see a doctor to see whether it needs to be reset. 

Oh, well. Time to call a doctor tomorrow.

My history with rocky courses was always a weakness; I tended to painfully roll my ankles a lot on the trails.

That is, until I started to wear minimalist XC-flats.

I have to safely say that even on the rockiest trails, I have NEVER rolled my ankles in XC-flats. Ever. I think the thinner sole allows it to be more flexible around uneven surfaces. This provides for more stability on very uneven areas.

But the problem with XC-flats is that with the lack of cushioning my feet tend to tire after about 30 miles on trails.

In a 100 mile race, that might be a bit of a problem.

There actually might be a possible solution to that, however. I noticed some people actually using trekking poles with their runs, and they were actually phenominal in traversing rocky sections.

I used a trekking pole for the Appalachian Trail and it turned out to be a great aid in getting through technical sections of the trail, so I have some experience in using them.

Looking for more information on the internet today, I came up with this gem of a video on Youtube. This guy is just amazing at using his trekking poles while running, so it might be something to look into.

Mind that I would only be using trekking poles for extremely rocky courses like Massanutten and would never use them for more runnable courses like Vermont.