Mandy and I flew out early Friday morning with a quick stop in Atlanta before getting to Raleigh.  I was pretty nervous flying with my bike again since my seat stay was cracked back in December on a flight to San Diego.  Once we got to Raleigh, I tediously inspected the bike in baggage claim and luckily found no issues.  Disaster avoided.

We were fortunate to have Ian and Emma hosting us for the weekend.  They live about a mile from the finish line and T1 which made logistics extremely easy all weekend.  We can’t thank them enough for opening up their home to us and driving us around all weekend.

Ian and I did packet pickup as soon as it opened on Friday which was quick and easy.  I got the bike unpacked, built it back up, and threw on my new Ceramic Speed chain.  We did an easy 45 min ride late afternoon to check out the bike and ensure everything was working with no issues.

Saturday came around and we did an easy 4 mile run and checked out T2 logistics.  We got the bikes finalized and headed to T1 for bike drop off.  We spent about 15-20 minutes outside dropping our bikes off and took note of how hot it was.  We were both dripping with sweat.  Ian had mentioned that in years past, people had tubes fail come race morning.  Leaving the bike out all day in sun and the heat would over pressurize the tubes.  So we both let a good bit of air out of the tires before leaving them in T1.  We drove the bike course on the way back and I took note that first half was pretty easy compared to the back half.  There weren’t any huge hills but there were a bunch of little hills.  Maintaining momentum and keeping the variability low would be critical to a fast bike split and being able to run well off the bike.  We met up with my parents for dinner who made the long drive down for the race.  My usual chicken parmigiana went down smoothly and I feared I may have actually ate too much as my stomach was feeling it shortly after dinner.

Race morning came early at 3:45 am.  My wave wasn’t going off until 8 am but with the two transitions (point to point race), we had to be up early to drop off our run gear at T2 and get on the shuttle to T1.  I usually wake up about 3 hours before the race and quickly get breakfast.  I had to time my nutrition a little differently with the race logistics, something I hadn’t exactly practiced before.  I had two packets of oatmeal and a banana before leaving to drop off our run gear.  On the bus ride to T1, I kept hydrating and downed a powerbar.  We got to T1 with 45 minutes before transition closed (6:45am) and at first I thought that was plenty time.  Needless to say the 45 minutes quickly passed and I barely made it out T1 before they kicked us out.  Nothing went wrong, I am just very methodical in my setup and have to ensure everything is perfectly placed.  I had another powerbar about an hour before my race and also downed 6 scoops of EFS Pro.  I got in a long swim warmup to get the engine rev’d up.  Within the first 4 strokes, I knew all systems were a go.  I did notice my hips were low in the water.  At first I thought it was my new swimskin but then remembered I wasn’t swimming in salt water which is what I’m used to in Florida.  The swim wasn’t wetsuit legal so I had all the benefits I’d hope for as a “swimmer”.  I hit the restroom one last time and got in line with the rest of my AG.

Swim (26:28 – Fastest Amateur)

I always size up my competition before every race and I’m pretty good at picking out the swimmers in the crowd.  There was only 1 guy I took note of as we entered in the water.  The horn went off and I started off pretty conservatively.  I had one guy to my right and two others hammering off far to my left.  The two to my left got out to a body length lead but I noticed they were sprinting pretty hard.  We came together after about 200 yards and I hopped on the second guys feet.  I knew immediately the pace would be too slow as they seemed to be slowing.  So I got off their feet and went to the front.  As I passed the lead guy, I saw him looking at me and trying to hop on my feet.  About half way to the first turn buoy, I started catching the waves in front of us.  It was crowded, really crowded.  I made the first turn and was met with plenty of chop.  I honestly thought there were boats in the water causing all the wake.  I did a really good job of swimming good lines considering the chop and traffic.  I think I only had to slow 2-3 times while swimming around everyone.  I exited the water with the fastest amateur swim of the day (5th including the pros).

Bike (2:21:04 – FLATTED)

I hit T1 and found my bike pretty easily.  I had a little bit of a problem getting my swimskin unzipped as I ran to my bike but eventually got it by the time I got to my bike.  This was the first time I was wearing a sleeved tri suit.  I prefer to keep it rolled down on the swim under my swimskin as I feel it will effect my swim if I wear it over my shoulders.  I also think it will stretch out causing the aero benefits to be null.  I got the suit on relatively easily on in T1.  There were still a few wrinkles in the shoulders but I figured I could adjust while I was on the bike.  I did a quick pause after I got my helmet and sunglasses on as I had to throw all my swim gear in the transition bag to ensure I got it back after the race.  I felt like I was forgetting something, either on the bike or in the bag.  But after a few seconds, I said screw it and went on my way onto the bike course.

I got on the bike and got in my shoes with no issues.  I knew the first 5 miles were going to be slow and full of traffic.  I rode conservatively for the first couple miles, getting the HR down and keeping the power in check.  On our way out of the park, 1 guy passed me who wasn’t in my AG.  I stuck with him riding legally behind as we got out of the park.  Once we got out of the park and onto the highway, it was game on.  Speeds got above 40 mph going downhill on the highway.  For the next 10 miles or so, I rode with 2 other guys (both not in my AG and I later found out one of the guys was overall amateur winner).  We leap frogged each other several times and I think we all did a good job of riding legally on the flat and downhill sections.  At around mile 18, I passed the 2 guys and then all of sudden I hear metal skipping across the ground and then pssssshhhhhhhhh…… I waited for a few seconds hoping my sealant would seal but then I felt my disc hitting the road.  I yelled something I’d rather not repeat.  At this point, I thought my day was done.  I figured I would have to call Mandy to tell her what happened and then wait for a ride to T2.  I always carry a spare but I almost always end up flatting multiple times.  It’s rare for me to make it home on training rides when I flat.  I was a bit flustered standing on the side of the road with everyone passing me.  I took my time changing the flat to make sure I could make it to T2.  A volunteer pulled up in a van and asked if I needed help.  I asked her to call for tech support just in case I needed it now or down the road.  I got the tube changed out and then used the co2 on my disc.  I was pleasantly surprised that the co2 went in with no issues as I have never used it before on a disc wheel (luckily I had brought my disc adaptor with me).  I threw everything back into my speedbox and hopped back on the bike.  The flat cost me about 7-8 min according to my garmin.  I know what people are going to say that it shouldn’t take me that long and they are ultimately right.  There’s no reason I shouldn’t have changed that flat in 3-4 min.  Lesson learned for next time.  I got on the bike but I was pissed.  I knew I couldn’t ride like a madman as that wouldn’t bode well for the rest of the race.  Unknown at the time, I passed Kory Gray shortly after my flat but he stayed with me.  It took me about 10 miles to realize it was Kory.  I had just met Kory a day before at bike check in and knew he was going to be one of the guys to beat in our AG.  We rode the rest of the way together sharing the work back and forth.  I made sure to take in enough nutrition in preparation for a tough run.  I took in 3 bottles of EFS Pro (6 scoops each), ~300 calories of EFS liquid shot, and half a bottle of Gatorade from an aid station.  I thought this could be the first time I would pee on the bike but I never felt the urge to go.

Garmin showed my moving time as 2:14 with avg power 233 and NP 246. IF was 0.81 and VI was 1.06.  My power was much lower than I was hoping for and my VI was quite high.  The hills didn’t help either and riding with a few other riders affected the numbers as well.  A couple times I tried getting away from them but couldn’t shake them without hammering.  So I tried to share the work in order to conserve energy.

Run (1:37:49)

I started off the run trying to stay as controlled and relaxed as possible. I passed Linda Robb in the first mile and we gave each other some encouragement.  Kory had exited T2 just a bit before me but I had him in sight.  I knew it was a long run so I figured there was no rush to catch him.  I kept him in sight for the first loop staying ~15 seconds behind him.  I saw coach Eric at about mile 2 as he was coming back.  We yelled that we had both flatted.  It’s funny because a lot of our races play out very similar, even if they aren’t the same race.  At around mile 3 or 4, I got the sudden urge to pee really bad.  I figured I needed to learn to pee while running at some point so I concentrated for 20-30 seconds and let it flow.  What a major relief as my stomach was hurting bad from the urge.  I ran just under 7 min/mile pace for the first half which was right about target pace.  Mandy told me I was in 4th at the turnaround but I already knew I didn’t have anything faster in me.  I started the second loop which was slightly uphill and could feel my pace was slowing.  I tried to trick my mind and just thinking about running to each aid station.  I took water and ice at most of the aid stations.  A few times I took in coke and redbull to try different things and see how my body reacted.  I got a little energy from the coke and redbull but it would fade quickly.  The 2nd loop was pure survival.  I could tell my run fitness wasn’t where I wanted it to be nor where it needed to be to compete at this level.  The goal was to run 1:27ish or at least under 1:30.  My hr was slowly declining and the legs just weren’t there.  I made one last effort on the downhill section into the finish and was happy to be done.

4:29:21 – 5th AG, 11th Amateur, 34th Overall

While the race wasn’t exactly what I hoped for, I was surprisingly happy with the outcome.  I swam and biked very well.  The flat is what it is.  I would have won my AG if it wasn’t for the flat but that’s part of racing.  I was just happy it didn’t ruin my race.  My run was a little disappointing but in a positive way it was a slap of reality.  We have been pretty conservative with my run training considering my hip and past injuries.  To compete at the level I want to compete at, I need to run ~1:25ish.  I have not put in the necessary training to do that but this was a step in the right direction.  I had major hip surgery less than year ago and to pull out a 4:29 with a flat, is pretty freaking awesome.

Thanks to everyone that followed along at home on their phones and computers.  Thank you to Ian and Emma for letting us move in for the weekend.  Thanks to my parents for making the long trip down to watch me put my body through hell.  Thanks to coach Eric for sticking with me and getting me back to this point.  Last but not least, thank you to my fiancé Mandy for being the loudest cheerleader in the sports history.  Everyone is sure to know when I’m racing.

Next up is the Palm Beach County World Championships (loggerhead sprint tri) where hopefully I’ll get bragging rights back after not having raced for 2 years.  Then I’ll be racing Miami 70.3 in October where I hope to qualify for Ironman 70.3 World Championship in Chattanooga in 2017.

Thanks for reading!

St Anthony’s came and went.  There’s not much to say other than I DNF’d for the first time ever.  I swam hard (maybe a bit too hard) and came out of the water in 3rd.  I had a quick transition and hopped on my bike.  I started pedaling and I immediately felt my left quad completely lock up.  I’ve had cramps before but never quite like this.  I tried to push through it for a little, but it hurt bad.  I also lost my only bottle on the cobblestone section, which I later learned would have given me a 2 min penalty.  I tried throwing it in the small chain ring to spin easy and see if my quad would loosen up but there was nothing I could do.  It hurt just to pedal at 50 watts.  I coasted/spun easy to the first intersection while everyone was passing me (frustrating experience) and I hopped off the bike.  I tried to stretch but I couldn’t bend my knee past 90 degrees.  I already knew the race was over when everyone was passing me but I had hoped I could at least finish the bike and have a decent run.  I stood on the side of the road and I could barely walk.  Not wanting to do any more damage, I circled back to transition and called it a day.  It was a tough pill to swallow but it absolutely was the right decision.

What happened?  Honestly, I don’t know.  I had plenty of electrolytes and salt the day before the race and morning of.  I had some lingering calf and shin issues for a few weeks prior that may had some kind of effect.  I did feel like I kicked more than usual during the swim.  The swim was pretty fast and it was wetsuit legal.  My shoulders had started feeling it pretty early on so I think I tried to compensate with kicking more than usual.  So maybe it was the swim or maybe it was one of those “stuff happens”.

I was pretty disappointed with the outcome as I felt I had a chance for the overall amateur win.  I also wanted to get in a race before Raleigh 70.3 to test my fitness.  My bike had been stronger than ever and my run speed was finally coming around.  There wasn’t much I could do after the race other than forget about it, and get back down to business for Raleigh.

For the first time in 799 days, I got to race this past weekend in what has become a long anticipated and frustrating return to racing.  Words cannot even begin to describe my emotions leading into the race.  I’ve been through the ringer.  I’ve had 4 surgeries in a span of 13 months.  I’ve shed more blood and tears than I care to remember.  I’ve been to too many doctors visits and have been stuck with more needles than I can count for a young, healthy, and not yet 30 year old.   But in the end, I’ve stayed strong and fought through it all to get me back to what I love to do…. racing.

I honestly didn’t know what was going to happen on Sunday and I only had one goal: “compete”.  I didn’t care if I won, got second, or came in last.  I just wanted to compete.  Competition and sport has been a part of my life for so long, I get lost in life without it.  Competition is what motivates and drives me to drag myself out of bed before 4 AM to drive an hour to the pool to swim before work.  It’s what drives me to push myself to new limits and strive continuous improvement.  It’s what drove me not to throw in the towel and give up on sport after the last 2 years.  Now don’t get me wrong, I still wanted to win and I knew I had a chance…. I just didn’t have the Ricky Bobby attitude: “If you’re not first, you’re last”.

I barely slept Saturday night…  maybe only 3 or 4 hours of total sleep.  I rode over to the race, got my chip and setup transition.  I then rode another 10 minutes and got some 1 min efforts at race effort to get the legs moving.  With the race being so short (300 yd swim, 5 mile bike, 1.2 mile run), Eric and I knew warmup was critical, not only to the race itself, but to getting through the race without getting injured.  I then racked my bike and went out for a quick run and did some pickups.  I did a run through of transition and headed up to the beach to get a quick swim in where I was pleasantly presented with rough waters.

The swim started and I got a pretty good jump and made it to the first buoy first without getting pummeled by a wave.  I was hoping for a 30 second gap to Johnny and Bill from the swim.  That would get me a little out of sight and I could hammer and ride away on the bike.  I was fortunate to catch a wave back to the beach on the swim exit.  I made a quick T1… or so I thought.  Results show I lost 12 seconds to Bill on T1.  I have video of T1 and I could maybe find 2-3 seconds where I could have been faster but not 12.  Not sure what to think of that right now but I’ll chalk it up to being rusty.

I hopped on the bike, got up to speed and got in my shoes.  The plan was to ride around 315 watts and not ride 400+ that first minute or two.  The roads were wet and there was a slight drizzle so I was careful to stay clear of the white painted lines (they are extremely slippery).  Beach road can be very bumpy, especially in the bike lane, so I was always trying to find the smoothest part of the road. After passing a few guys in the first heat, I got the turnaround and took note where Bill was.  I was a little concerned when I saw he wasn’t that far behind me.  Some negative thoughts started to roll through my head but I knew I just had to put my head down, ride hard back to T2, and take what I could get.  I started to feel my legs burning on the way back and wasn’t sure how they were going to respond on the run.

I got through T2 without any major incident, and headed out on the run.  To my surprise, my legs felt great and I focused on my form.  I’ve only ran on the mulch trail 1 other time and it was 3 or 4 years ago and I remembered the footing being very shaky at best.  After the first couple of steps on the trail, I remember it being much worse than it actually was.  It only slowed me down a bit but I had decent footing and was really only concerned about breaking an ankle or injuring myself.  Before even half way, I knew this could turn into a sprint finish.  Mandy had asked me earlier in the week what I would do if it did.  I’ve never had another gear at the finish of the race.  I’m usually redlined the entire run and I’m happy to be running the same the pace at the finish than when I started.  So my response to her was: “I don’t know”.  I started to conserve a bit of energy knowing I would need a kick at the end.  I looked for Bill at the 180 degree turns.  He was closing the gap but not as much as I had expected and by the last 180, I realized he was running out of real estate.  I forgot to look where the actual finish line was before the race so I could time my kick.  I got back on the asphalt and knew it was time to go.  I kicked hard and then kicked hard again once I got into the parking lot.  Everybody was screaming and I knew he was coming and coming fast.  There was a dicy 90 degree left hand turn into the finish where there was a big puddle of water right in my line.  Not wanting to slip or trip, I took a wide turn avoiding the puddle and the white painted lines and crossed the line just 2 seconds ahead of Bill. 

I want to say hats off to Bill and Johnny for a fun competitive race.  Both are always tough competitors and they lay it on the line every time they toe the line.  They both make me a better athlete.

A special thank you as I couldn’t have done it without my fiance Mandy.  She’s been by my side this whole time and stayed strong when I wasn’t.  I would never have gotten through the past 2 years without her.  A big thank you to everyone that came up to me before and after the race.  All of your words of encouragement were very much appreciated. 

Here’s a great video Tommy Allore made of the race and showed the sprint finish…

I was a bit skeptical when I signed up for this race 3 months ago but I needed to prove to myself that I could race this distance.  The last time I raced a 70.3 was at Eagleman in 2012 (which did not go as planned) and I’ve been itching for redemption ever since.  I also wasn’t sure if 12 weeks was enough time to get in the shape I wanted to be in, especially coming off an injury.  As the weeks progressed, things were looking really good.  I wasn’t broken down nor had any lingering aches or pains.  With 5 or so weeks until the race, we decided to go all in and see what happens on race day.

Friday came and I got in a short run in the morning around my neighborhood before packing up and heading west to Naples.  Once getting into Naples, I saw Pittsburghers Chad Holderbaum (pro triathlete) and Bruce Jenkins out on their bikes riding the course.  I was pretty excited to be racing Chad as I wanted to use this race as a measuring stick going forward.  I got in a quick 30 minute ride on the course to make sure everything was good to go on the Trek Speed Concept (Thanks Tri Bike Run!).  Mandy and I then headed to the hotel to get situated and found some excellent Italian food for dinner so I could have my usual chicken parmigiana.  If you are ever in Naples, be sure to check out Sophia’s Ristorante Italiano…. by far some of the best Italian food I’ve ever had.

If you ask me, these longer races really start as soon as you wake up in the morning (possibly even the day before).  Proper nutrition and hydration is absolutely critical for a successful day.  On race morning I ate two packets of Quaker Instant Oatmeal – Maple & Brown Sugar and a banana.  I also got in a bottle of First Endurance EFS with a scoop of pre race and later had a couple sips of a FE liquid shot just before heading to the swim start.  After a quick warm up in the Gulf of Mexico (that water was much colder than I expected it to be…. apparently the west coast of Florida is much colder than the east coast), I was ready to go.

SWIM – 1.2 miles (23:19 *PR, 1st Overall)
It was an out of water start and everyone was inching forward trying to get to the front.  The gun went off rather quickly and I got a decent jump with a few others just ahead or right next to me.  I had 2 or 3 guys with me for those first 30 seconds, which gave me a glimpse of hope that I would have some people to swim with.  Unfortunately that glimpse was short lived as they faded quickly.  I got to the first turn buoy with a pretty sizable lead where I was met with a little bit of current coming towards me.  I put my head down, kept my heart rate in check, and hit the cruise control button.  Overall I had a great swim and I was feeling good heading into shore.

BIKE – 56 miles (2:08:11 *PR, 1st Overall)
I headed out on the bike and figured I would have a 2-3 minute lead.  Eric warned me the day before not to over exert myself the first 30 minutes on the bike as this could kill the rest of my day.  I was very cognizant of my power numbers and made sure I was getting in my nutrition.  My nutrition plan included: 1 bottle with 2 scoops of EFS lemon lime and 1 scoop of pre-race (200 calories) and another bottle with 2 servings of First Endurance liquid shot kona mocha flavor mixed with water (800 calories) and take water at every aid station to wash it all down.  I learned in training that I need a lot of water as I’ve often finished training rides extremely thirsty.  So I forced myself to hydrate early on the bike no matter if I was thirsty or not.  This played out very well as everything was going down smoothly and I never felt my energy level drop.  I knew Chad would be hunting me down on the bike but I wasn’t sure where my biking was compared to his.  I knew if I biked well, I could possibly ride into T2 just in front of him.  The bike course wasn’t closed to traffic and we were riding on some busy roads, but I was lucky enough to have 2 motorcyclists leading me out on the roads for the entire ride.  At the turn around, I grabbed a bottle of water but I wasn’t paying attention to the turn around point so I overshot the turn around and missed the timing mats for the 28 mile split (hopefully no one was too worried when that split didn’t come in for me).  I took note of my computer time and started to watch for Chad going the other way.  We didn’t cross paths until 3-3.5 minutes later which seemed odd (I later found out Chad went off course and added 6 minutes to the course).  I put my head down for the last 28 miles and focused on my race.  I was banking on an aid station at mile 45 to grab another water but it never came.  This made me a bit worried but I still had my liquid shot bottle to finish off.  I rode into T2 feeling great and ready to tackle the 13.1 mile run.

RUN – 13.1 miles (1:31:37 *PR, 3rd Overall)
The plan was to run around 7 minute mile pace.  My legs felt great and my heart rate was in check.  I glanced at my watch after a few min and it said 6:20 min/mile.  Whoops!!  Slow your role Steve.  Nutrition wise, I carried a FE liquid shot flask (400 calories) and planned to take water and/or cola at the aid stations.  My stomach was feeling relatively good (does it ever really feel great?) and I was clicking the miles off just under 7 minute mile pace.  After the turn around, my pace began to slow.  The legs just wouldn’t go any faster.  I thought there was still a chance of Chad catching me if he was on his game.  I started doing the math and figured if he was running 6-6:15 minute miles, he may get me in the last mile.  I tried to keep those thoughts out of my head and kept putting one foot in front of the other.  “Just get to the next aid station” I told myself.  What also wasn’t helping was the fact that it was brutally hot and sunny out there for January and there wasn’t much shade on the course.  The last mile finally came and I got a big burst of energy so I picked up the pace.  I was pretty excited to finally see that finish line and crossed it first in just my 2nd attempt at this distance.

OVERALL – 4:05:12 *PR 1st Overall
Results 

Looking back, it would have been nice to have Chad with me on the bike or run.  I really could have used the extra push on the run as I just ran comfortably not wanting to completely deplete myself.  Overall, I couldn’t be happier with the result and I was really surprised with the overall time. I knew the course was fast but not THAT fast (I did have the bike and run courses a bit short according to my Garmin).  It’s nothing new but running is still my achilles heel.  I’m going to need to put in some run focused training in order to keep anyone from running me down.  With a little more training and speed work, I think I can find 4-5 minutes on the run.

I was fortunate to have my Aunt Beatrice in town, so she came by the race to cheer me on.  It was really great to share the experience with her and Mandy.  Thanks again to everyone for the support, especially my sponsors: Tri Bike Run, First Endurance, and Blue Seventy.

Next up is a little rest and recovery this coming week and then its time to get back to work… stay tuned…

Let me say this: Milwaukee is an awesome city!  Mandy and I were pleasantly surprised. Mandy commented all weekend how nice everyone was (hotel staff, restaurant staff, race volunteers, etc).  I’m sure there were some complaints from the locals with thousands of triathletes riding very expensive bikes on the city roads with funny looking helmets.  But overall, everyone was very welcoming.  Our hotel was 5 or 6 blocks away from the race site and there were plenty of restaurants all within walking distance from our hotel.  I didn’t have one bad meal while I was there.

This past weekend I raced USAT Age Group Nationals – Olympic Distance (0.9 mile swim, 24.8 mile bike, 6.2 mile run) in Milwaukee, WI.  To say the race was a success, is an understatement.  This race has been my key race all year and I really wanted to make a statement against some of the top amateur triathletes in the country at one of the biggest Olympic distance races in the country.  After racing a 2:04 at St Anthony’s in 2012, I really wanted to break the 2 hr barrier.  With a big break through in my biking earlier this year, and finally running consistently without injury, I knew this season would be my best yet. Unfortunately, all my Olympic distance races this year have had shortened swims which set up Nationals to be the perfect place to achieve this mark.

Race week started out pretty rough.  After Loggerhead, I was having some pretty bad stomach pains for a few days.  My mind was all over the place for those couple days after Loggerhead. I’ve had stomach issues after races before but they usually only lasted for the rest of the day and I was feeling normal by the next. Why was a sprint race, that only took an hour, causing me all kinds of issues?  Did I push myself that hard during the race?  Was I going to be recovered by Saturday to race?  Fortunately, I started to feel better on Tuesday and things were back to normal.

With the race on a Saturday, Mandy and I decided to fly out Thursday morning in order to have plenty of time to get situated in Milwaukee, put the bike together, familiarize myself with the course, and just relax. Upon getting to PBI, the Delta agents immediately asked me if my Aerus Biospeed bike case had a bike in it. This is one of the few bike cases that doesn’t scream “bike”.  This has helped bypass the airline bike fees before but the Delta agents at PBI have apparently been trained pretty well as this is the 2nd time I’ve flown Delta out of PBI with a bike, and I got stuck paying their outrageous bike fee ($150) both times.  We and the bike made it to Milwaukee with no issues but upon building the bike back up, I stripped one of the screws where my stem fastens to the fork (yes, I even had a torque wrench with me and I didn’t go over the max torque setting).  I took the bike over to bike support at the expo and fortunately they were able to take care of me.  They had to re-tap the the threads and put in a larger screw in order for the screw to engage.  Looks like I may need a new fork as a long term solution (not sure if  I can get one from Trek or not) but needless to say, a trip to Tri Running Sports & Cycle is in the works.  Later on Thursday, I picked up my packet, talked with some vendors at the expo (I really want a computrainer now), and got a quick ride in on the first part of the bike course.

(I stumbled upon this thread on Slowtwitch and now I’m searching for a hard case to travel with my bike. There are just too many risks you take with using a soft case.  Anyone have any suggestions on a hard case?)

Friday was pretty low key with a quick run, bike, and swim in the morning to get the blood flowing. We then drove the bike course to get a feel of what I was up against and eventually dropped off my bike at transition.  We had dinner at Ryan Braun’s Graffito restaurant, where I had what has become my pre-race ritual (out of superstition and it doesn’t seem to cause me any issues), chicken parmesan. Very good food there and a great view of the water if you sit outside.

The course was very straight forward.  We swam in Lake Michigan but we were protected from the “chop” of the lake.  The swim course was narrow and I thought this would cause problems with all the waves going off but fortunately it wasn’t an issue.  Swim exit was interesting as there was a very steep ramp out of the water with volunteers helping you get out. No matter how strong of a swimmer you were, you needed the volunteer to help you out and up the ramp.  I think there was some misconception on the bike course as someone called it flat as a pancake.  It is not flat as a pancake.  I train daily on terrain that is flat as a pancake and this course is not that.  I would define the course as “wavy” more than anything. There are 3 small climbs on the course.  One is right at the beginning, and the other two are the bridge you go across twice on the highway.  The course has two 180 deg turnaround’s and is relatively flat.  The run is flat and fast…. plain and simple.   If you are thinking about racing next year, I highly recommend it.  It’s a great city and a great course.

Last year I did this race and finished a disappointing 9th.  It wasn’t the place that bugged me, it was my bike and run performances weren’t up to my expectations or capabilities.  I lead out of the water and was passed by the first turnaround (~3 miles in) and rode in 2nd all the way to T2.  As soon as I got off the bike, I knew my legs weren’t there.  My calves and hamstrings were cramping and the worst part, my stomach wasn’t cooperating with me.  I got passed by 7 people in the 5k and ran a 5k time I don’t want to repeat.  Nonetheless, this race from 2012 really lit a fire under me and has been one of my biggest motivators.  Coming into the race this year, all that really mattered was that I wanted race well and hit my numbers.  Sure I wanted to win but I learned long time ago from my competitive swimming days, you cannot control what everyone else does…. you can only control what you do.  I’ve lost some swim races years ago when I was so concerned about winning instead of just focusing on my race and what I can control.  I knew if I raced well, I would have shot at winning but if someone beat me, so be it….. they would be the faster guy that day.

The week leading up to the race, my coach Eric Limkemann started to dial my training back after a hard interval workout on the bike on Tuesday in preparation for this weekends race and more importantly, next weekend when I head to Milwaukee for USAT Age Group Nationals.  Friday morning came quick and I got in an easy 2 mile run before heading to work.  After work I headed over to the expo to get my race packet and help out Tri Running Sports who were offering some tremendous bike deals.  Shame on you if you didn’t take advantage of it.   I was planning to get a quick 30 min ride in after the expo but it was raining, getting dark, and I was starving.  I had put on my race wheels (and cork pads) on Thursday but I only rode the bike for 2 min just down the street from my house.  My 30 min ride was going to be my final check on my bike to make sure everything was good to go.  Needless to say, I didn’t get the ride in and my mind was racing all night worrying if everything would be ok on the bike.

On Saturday, I decided to wake up a little earlier and ride to the race to make sure everything was set and luckily nothing out of the ordinary popped up.  I got set up in transition, did a quick jog, and headed to the beach to get in a swim warmup.  As I got on the beach and looked at the buoys, I quickly realized the swim was going to be long which plays in my favor.  I swam from swim exit to start as a warmup as I’ve found I need a good warmup to swim to my capability.  My arms feel like jello if I don’t get a warmup in.  At the swim start, I noticed another competitor who looked like a swimmer.  Swimmers can spot other swimmers from a mile away…… sweedish googles, muscular upper body (which almost all triathletes don’t have) and they have the “swimmer” look.  I also had overheard a few comments that backed up my theory.  I was hoping we could work together to get a big gap on the rest of the field.

Swim (10:08)
The gun went off rather quickly as I barely overheard the countdown, threw on my goggles and started my watch.  Luckily I was still able to get a good jump off the start and got to the first buoy in the lead.  Unfortunately, the middle yellow buoys were not lined up with the orange buoys (the yellow buoys were shallower than the orange buoys) so I ignored the yellow buoys and swim straight for the final orange buoy where we turned in to shore.  I swam the entire time essentially by myself.  As I turned at the last buoy, I looked over my left shoulder and I noticed someone behind me by about 3-5 body lengths.   I was a little surprised at first but this confirmed my earlier theory.  I later found out he swam at Kentucky and after some google searching, we had some pretty similar swim times in college.  I had a good swim exit and not knowing his biking abilities, I wanted to make sure he didn’t catch me on the way to T1.

Bike (28:35)  Power Data
On Friday, Eric had told me attack the second half of the bike.  Heading out on the bike, I got a little too caught up worrying about the guy behind me (and everyone else) and add a lot of adrenaline, I started out way too hard (320+ Watts).  I knew I couldn’t withstand that kind of power throughout the bike and be able to run well, but it felt effortless.  At the first of three turnarounds, I determined I had just under a 2 min lead on a guy riding another Trek Speed Concept and John Reback right behind him.  We had a nice tailwind heading North which got me up to 30+ mph.  Starting the second lap, my gap had grown to a little over 2 min. John was nowhere in site and at first I thought I must of missed him coming by but I later saw him riding slowly and yelled some words of encouragement.  Sucks he got a flat but it is what it is.  On the 2nd loop, I had a few close calls trying to dodge the rest of the field on their 1st loop.  One gentleman pulled out right in front of me as he was trying to pass someone in front of him.  What he didn’t know, was that I was coming up behind both of them about to pass.  Luckily I saw what was about to happen before it was too late and was able to avoid him.  For the final few miles I focused on a smooth and controlled effort, and rode into T2 with a 2+ min lead.

Run (18:52)
As I headed out on the run, my calves and hamstrings were cramping and legs didn’t feel like they were there.  I remained calm, tried to relax and told myself they would come around.  Fortunately, the legs came around and the cramping went away within the first quarter mile.  I had no idea who the guy in 2nd was and for all I knew, he could have be capable of running a 16 min 5k.  Luckily, the volunteers helped me out and told me no one was insight and the race was now mine to lose. At the turnaround, my lead was still at 2+ min and I kept that same pace and ran home to the win.

Loggerhead Tri Results

Thanks to the Northern Palm Beach County Chamber of Commerce and all of the volunteers for a great race once again!  Special thanks to my gf Mandy and mom (who came down from Pittsburgh for the weekend).  Lastly thanks to my sponsors Tri Running Sports (best cycling, running, and triathlon store in South Florida) and Blue Seventy for their support.

Next up is AG Nats next Saturday.  I leave early Thursday morning and I’m hoping to break that elusive 2 hr barrier in the Olympic distance.

I was in between doing this race or an Olympic distance race across the state the following weekend. I wanted to get in a full Olympic distance race before Age Group Nationals (St Anthony’s and Motivation Man were both swim shortened) but I decided to stay close to home out of convenience.  Coming into the race I figured I had a chance at top 3 if I raced well with some fast local guys in the mix.  Winning had crossed my mind once or twice but I figured there was very little chance of that actually happening.  I raced well at Motivation Man (minus a very short swim and getting stopped at the train tracks on the bike) but I was still a few minutes off the leaders.  To have any chance, I figured I needed the biggest lead possible heading into the run.  If I blew up on the run, so be it, its just a sprint after all.

Race morning came and I got in a quick run to warm up, got my transition setup, and hopped in the ocean to get in a quick swim.  During my swim warm up, I quickly realized this was not going to be an easy swim (a plus for me). The water was very choppy and it made it hard to keep any kind of rhythm.  The swim was pre-planned to swim with the current.  The race director would determine what direction the current was heading and adjust the swim start accordingly (either start north of the swim finish or south).  Fortunately for me, the RD (or someone) figured the current was heading in the same direction as the wind (North).  A few of us noticed while warming up, that the current was actually taking you south.  Which meant a harder swim against the current.

Swim (6:42 1/244)
The gun went off and we all headed for the turn buoy.  I could immediately tell the current was pushing us south, away from the direction we were heading.  I made the turn at the first buoy, put my head down, tried to establish a smooth rhythm in order to keep my heart rate down.  It was hard to site some of the buoys as there was some decent waves and depending on when I lifted my head, the waves may of been block my site line to the next buoy.  I got out of the water and made my way to T1.  I’m not a fan of long transition runs (who is) but I actually felt like I was able to hold a quick pace to T1 without my HR skyrocketing.  I later found out I made a wrong turn coming from the beach to transition.  There was a “Y” in the walkway and I took a left when we were suppose to take a right.  It was probably a little longer but no more than a few seconds.

Bike (22:45 2/244)
I had no idea how much of a lead I had after the swim, so the goal was to extend that lead as much as possible on the 10 mile bike course.  We had a bit of a tailwind heading North and while I was riding at 27-29 mph, but my watts weren’t quite where I wanted them to be.  I could not hold my goal wattage but at the end of the day, it’s just a number.  I ignored the numbers and put forth my best effort.  At the turnaround, I took note of the time to see how far back 2nd place was.  John Reback (with Tom Gore right behind him) and I crossed paths which told me I had just under a 2 min lead at the turnaround.  I was pleasantly surprised and the thoughts of winning started to cross my mind.  I got over the Blue Heron bridge to see George Robb taking video of the race.  He offered some words of encouragement and I was headed down the other side only to turn right back around and come right back up.  Coming back up the bridge, I figured I would start seeing John peak over the bridge but surprisingly I didn’t see him until heading back down the bridge towards T2.  I came into T2 mostly trying to not get hit by a car or run into another rider heading out on the bike.  Luckily, neither happened…..

Run (18:23 9/244)
I headed out on the run figuring I was going to get caught in the last mile but as I got on the main road to lead up to the bridge,  I noticed I had pretty size-able lead.  I kept my emotions in check and focused on my race.  Good turnover, keep good  form, relax…. I told myself.  As I was coming back up the bridge, John looked determined and was charging hard down the hill (I don’t think I’ve ever seen legs turnover that fast).  At that point I really believed he was going to catch me but I apparently underestimated the amount of time takes to get down and back up the hill.  I ran scared the rest of the race hoping I wouldn’t get caught in the last 1/4 to 1/2 mile.  The finish line came in site and it wasn’t until then I knew I was going to win.  My run wasn’t great but it wasn’t terrible.  Although this was my fastest 3 mile run ever, I know I’m more than capable of running faster.  My run training has been inconsistent at best for the past 1.5 years as injuries have prevented me from doing so.  But I seem to finally have the injuries under control and my consistency has been slowly getting there.

There’s nothing more satisfying than exceeding your own expectations and it was my first overall win.  If I was a betting man, I never would have put money on myself to take the win.  Everything has started to come together the last few months and the hard work is paying off.  I’ve made some huge gains on the bike this year that has left me feeling I can bike with most top amateur triathletes, which is a big change compared to where I was 2 years ago when I first go into this sport..

I can’t thank my gf enough for her support. She’s my biggest supporter (and our dog Bear) and I don’t know how they both put up with me.  Thanks again to everyone who offered their support and congratulations.  I was beyond excited with how I raced and hungry for more at the same time.  Next up, the Palm Beach County World Championships, aka, the loggerhead triathlon…..