"Thanks so much for applying to the purplepatch farm project. I am very sorry to tell you that you just missed out on this trip. Please make sure you apply and you were on the very final list of athletes (in fact, you were in the final two men), and we just could not find room. If you applied again my bet is that you will have every chance to make it.
You were an exceptionally strong candidate and very much enjoyed chatting on the phone. I think that you will continue to evolve and I would highly recommend you apply for the next time through. I thought I would talk 'off the record' to provide some helpful insight to you for future applications (as well as framing your own sport) Take this as you will, but I hope you receive it in the spirit of me trying to help.
The successful applicant displayed similar skill-sets to you, but was highly succinct in his vision for his sport, where he wanted to be in three years time, and had a great grasp of personal strengths and weaknesses. It all came out well in the discussion.
I thought you did tremendously well and were very close to achieving a spot, but wanted to provide some feedback to help you succeed next time.
1. Where do you really want to be in three years?
2. What is the path to get there?
3. What do you need to work on to get there?
I would say that everyone wants to be 'as good as they want to be'... but defining it and being able to create a self-vision is important!
Regardless, please stay in touch and keep me in the loop with how your season goes. I would LOVE to see you excel this year and think highly of you as an athlete. I think you have potential to move on and become a great performer in this sport. Please throw your name in the that again, for next time!
Please let me know of questions. Next project: May - Southern California. Make sure you apply!
Cheers
Matt"
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Looonnnggg Shoooottt
So I took a bit of a long shot a few weeks back. I had read about the Purplepatch Farm Project on one of Linsey Corbin's tweets. It is an opportunity to train with and learn the approach of Matt Dixon's pro team. Some of his athletes include Chris and Matt Lieto, Luke Bell, Sam McGlone, and Linsey Corbin. The farm project would kick off in Tucson, AZ at a training camp with the Purplepatch pros and be followed by planning my race season and utilizing purplepatch's approach.
I figured it was a shot in the dark, but about 2 weeks after I submitted my application I got an email from Matt. He wanted to know a few more things about me including how I designed my training, hours per week spent training, weaknesses, etc. I assumed this meant I made it to the next round. Still no idea how many people were left but thought it was a good sign. Yesterday I got a phone call from Matt. My phone had died and when I checked the voicemail from my office phone I found a message from Matt stating that I had made it down to the final 5 or 6 people and he wanted to talk for 5 to 10 minutes about my thoughts on the future, my application and so forth. I called him back and left him a message and have been waiting anxiously since then.
This would be a pretty cool opportunity to train with some talented individuals and learn yet another approach to the sport. I should find out by February 7th whether or not I made it. Either way it has been an interesting experience.
-Paul
I figured it was a shot in the dark, but about 2 weeks after I submitted my application I got an email from Matt. He wanted to know a few more things about me including how I designed my training, hours per week spent training, weaknesses, etc. I assumed this meant I made it to the next round. Still no idea how many people were left but thought it was a good sign. Yesterday I got a phone call from Matt. My phone had died and when I checked the voicemail from my office phone I found a message from Matt stating that I had made it down to the final 5 or 6 people and he wanted to talk for 5 to 10 minutes about my thoughts on the future, my application and so forth. I called him back and left him a message and have been waiting anxiously since then.
This would be a pretty cool opportunity to train with some talented individuals and learn yet another approach to the sport. I should find out by February 7th whether or not I made it. Either way it has been an interesting experience.
-Paul
Thursday, December 9, 2010
2011 Schedule
So much in the works for 2011. Its not that I don't want to go as crazy as 2010, I just don't plan on doing an Ironman in 2011. The financial, physical, and emotional commitments necessary to execute a good Ironman are too great to make on an annual basis. For that reason I am challenging myself in a different way for next year. I plan on racing 4 half irons. I have never done more than 2 in a year, so it will most definitely be a challenge. On top of those races I plan on completing some awesome relays. Without further adieu, my potential schedule:
February 27th - Hyannis Half Marathon
March 19th - Holyoke St. Patrick's Day 10K
April 3rd - Westfield Half Marathon
May 1st - Ludlow Sheriff's Sprint Tri
June 5th - Rev3 Half Quassy
June 11-12th - New England Running Relay (220 mile relay with the great Tom Shea)
Jun 18th - Pat Griskus Olympic (USAT Regional Championships 2011)
July 10th - Providence 70.3
August 6th - Swim Across the Sound
August 20th - USAT Age Group National Championship (Burlington, VT)
August 29th - Chicopee Speedo Challenge (Chicopee Sprint Tri)
September 10th* - Housatonic Valley Sprint Triathlon
September 11th - Pumpikinman Half or Ironman 70.3 World Championships (Vegas)
October 2nd - Mightyman Half
July 22, 2012 - Ironman Lake Placid
Looks to be a fun year, hope to see everyone at the races
Cheers,
Paul
February 27th - Hyannis Half Marathon
March 19th - Holyoke St. Patrick's Day 10K
April 3rd - Westfield Half Marathon
May 1st - Ludlow Sheriff's Sprint Tri
June 5th - Rev3 Half Quassy
June 11-12th - New England Running Relay (220 mile relay with the great Tom Shea)
Jun 18th - Pat Griskus Olympic (USAT Regional Championships 2011)
July 10th - Providence 70.3
August 6th - Swim Across the Sound
August 20th - USAT Age Group National Championship (Burlington, VT)
August 29th - Chicopee Speedo Challenge (Chicopee Sprint Tri)
September 10th* - Housatonic Valley Sprint Triathlon
September 11th - Pumpikinman Half or Ironman 70.3 World Championships (Vegas)
October 2nd - Mightyman Half
July 22, 2012 - Ironman Lake Placid
Looks to be a fun year, hope to see everyone at the races
Cheers,
Paul
Saturday, November 20, 2010
2010 Ironman Florida Race Report
Grab a cup of joe or a nice glass of red and have a seat, this may be a little on the longer side, afterall it was a long road of preparation and I wouldn't want to miss anything. I will apologize ahead of time if at times there is more information than you wish to hear. Ladies and Gentlemen, without further adeiu...
My road to the Florida Ironman began on a cold day in November of 2009. After hearing about the success my friends had experienced with Quantitative Triathlon Training Systems (QT2) I decided to attain their services for Florida. My goal was to really dedicate a year of hard word and training and see what was actually possible with me and the Ironman. On the flip side, this single year of dedication to sport would also include dedication to my fiance, building a house, starting a new position at work, and planning (and not messing up) a wedding. Kara and I were both up for the challenge and with her support I knew we would both achieve success across all fronts....SPOILER ALERT!!!!! We achieved success on all fronts (but then again you all knew that already).
Flash forward (everyone says fast forward so I'm switching it up a bit) to race week. My head is a bit of a mess. When you are tapering for your big event you tend to have a ton of pent up energy and your mind goes 1,000,000 miles per hour. Some of the things in my head include my calf injury from Mightyman Half one month ago. Thanks to good friend and dynamite PT, OCS Amy Veres my calf was feeling much better and I hadn't had any flair ups in some time. My knee on the other hand was a different story. I had to ship my racing bike down to FL a week early so I didn't have a road bike to ride for my final 3 hour ride one week before the race (this will become my primary arguement as I try to convince KJ to let me get a road bike...good luck right?) I asked my buddy Seth if he would like to join me in the woods for a ride (yes the ride was my idea and Seth and John Hill don't get to take any responsibility for this, only I do). He agreed and Hillman and Andy showed up to join us on a "mellow" ride at Robinson. 2 hours later my knee began to get sharp shooting pains (patella-femoral like for all you fellow PT geeks reading). Seth noticed my seat post had slipped while we were riding and had lowered a centimeter or 2. We called it a day, but the pain stuck around til arriving in FL.
Calf on the mend, knee is shakey, race plan has been reviewed, now its time to land, get car, go to condo, check-in at race tent etc. We get everything taken care of and a few of us decide to go for a quick bike ride to make sure everything is copesethetic with our bikes (and knees).
We make it 2 miles and WHAM!! (and i dont mean the hit music group either) - Sharp knee pain! Uh oh...don't panic...investigate....what makes it worse...what makes it better....how can I compensate? All of these things were running through my head adding to the panic and what ifs.
Friday arrived and with it came sunny skies, Kara's arrival, and bike check in. All responsibilities were again taken care of, plus a 30 minute massage from Manfred (great guy that worked out all the kinks in my legs while also donning me with some sweet pink and light blue kinesio-tape for my calf and knee and most likely my brain). Nutrition that day was also stellar (I ate everything I was suppossed to and then some).
RACE MORNING:
3:30 alarm goes off, apple sauce time! breakfast went down smoothly and back to bed for a cat nap. I met Ochoa in the lobby for 5:30 and headed down to transition.
I was feeling good. I had my 2 best supporters (Jake and KJ) with me, a scary fast race plan, sunny (but cold) skies, and a ton of energy waiting to be expended. As my college assistant swim coach once told us (in regards to tapering for a big event), "You are like a wind up toy. All season long you put in the time and hard work, this is you being wound up. On race day all you have to do is just let go and let the race take care of itself." Time to be let go!
Body mark check, wetsuit on, que the sunrise. My entourage and I along with Ochoa and his fam (minus his brother who still was puzzled by the idea of waking up before the sun) headed towards the beach for the start. I give KJ and Jake a hug and head down to the water to find my spot on the front line of 2400 people on a straight line to the first buoy. The plan was to take out the first 400yds hard then settle into my rhythm. A blast from Sandstorm comes over the speakers, the is jostling for position, a calm comes over the crowd and......BOOM the canon goes off!! I treat the 400 yards like a 50 and am having an awesome turnover with my kick not missing a beat. I manage to hit the first buoy ahead of everyone (woohoo i won the race....wrong!!) I settle into what I feel is a comfortable pace and people slowly begin coming around me. "uh oh, not good, why can't I pull more water?! Are the seas really this choppy? Stay on those feet!" The stretch out to the first turn buoy was tough. I was getting passed, not finding my rhythm, and trying not to panic.
Across the back stretch I begin to catch a little more water with every pull. The magic happened as I turned the second time. It was similiar to swimming the 1000 freestyle and after 100 yards you feel as though you haven't slowed down and might even be going faster! I am grabbing so much water and starting to pass everyone that passed me! I'm not working overly hard and I am absolutely cruising!! I get out of the water after lap 1 and am looking for a clock...don't see one. Where am I? How am I doing? Do I need to go faster?
I run up the beach, under the arch, make the turn and look ahead to see how many people are in front of me....about 3?! What?!!! Oh man this is awsome, I am killing the swim (too bad there is still a long bike and a hard run ahead of me). I pass on the aid station and run down the beach and back into the water. Bad idea, shouldn't have run so hard, I'm tired, I think I can walk past the breaking point...time to swim again. Lap 2 was pretty much the same (no rhythm, people passing me etc) the only difference was I knew I could count on the back stretch of the swim to be fast and I could make up my time there. That is exactly what I did. I really turned it on with about 200 meters to go to get the legs warmed up for the bike. I run up the beach (still no clock) and find a wetsuit stripper. Grab my wet suit and head for T1.
The benefit of having a strong swim is you get spoiled in T1. I had 5 volunteers helping me get all of my bike gear ready, which for the first time included arm warmers...yikes (thanks Jim for saving me with your extra pair). Time to bike!
The Bike:
IMFL has a reputation of being flat, fast, and a draft fest. With only the pros ahead of me along with a few age groupers (2) I know that the packs will at some point catch up to me. I do my best to keep in check the variables that I have control of (nutrition, HR, fluid intake etc). The main thing on my mind however is the temperature...it is freezing! It honestly took me 30-40 miles before I stopped shivering. With the exception of my temperature, everything was going well; I was even ahead of my fluid intake (little did I know this would come back to bite me in rear).
As the miles went up, so did the pressure in my bladder. The longer I rode without listening to my body the higher my heart rate went up and the more I had to back off the bike pace. Every time I took care of business my heart rate dropped dramatically and I was able to put in a good hard effort (until I had to go to the bathroom again). This happened 3 times over the 112 mile bike ride. Between the pressure in my bladder and my frustration of seeing the pack riders, my hear rate was constantly high. This is the downside of riding according to HR as opposed to power. Had I been using a power meter I most likely would have been able to keep the effort consistent despite my level of frustration with other riders.
Lets just take a moment to really look at how close these riders were. The rule is 4 bike lengths between bikes, most times it was less than 2! At one point a pack was coming by me and I actually pointed to a rider ahead of me as I said to the rider passing me "hurry up, grab his wheel, you dont want a gap forming!" He had some words for me, but all i could think was, "I hope you can run as well as you draft!"
The first out and back is somewhere in the 70-80 mile range. This was where I would be looking for my teammates to exchange encouraging words. I saw them a lot sooner than I expected! Jim first, followed by Andy, and ....OCHOA??!! When you are being chased it seems like they are all right on your tail. In this case they actually were! I knoew Jim would be an absolute monster on the bike, so as he passed me just after the second out and back (about 25 miles to go) it was almost a relief. He thought something was majorly wrong which to both our reliefs was not the case. As we hit T2 I was about 2 minutes down to Jim, and only a few minutes ahead of Andy and Ochoa.
My focus going through T2 was to eat my banana, take my gel, and get moving!! The plan for the run was to take it out at 6:35 min/mile and hold on as long as possible. I grabbed all of my nutrition for the first half of the run and was off....and running. I was so focused on nutrition that I left T2 with my arm warmers still on...not part of my plan. Luckily Jake was on the run course about 1/4 mile into it and after getting my garmin squared away I was able to hand them off. I caught up to Jim and after some positive exchanges...pause.... we both continued at our appropriate paces.
I felt great! The cool thing about IMFL run course is that it takes a lot of turns so you feel like you are covering a lot of ground. Before I knew it I was 6 miles in and averaging just above 6:40s. The trouble came at mile 8. I had taken a gel at T2, another at mile 4 and then I took one just before the mile 8 aid station so I could wash the taste of the gel out of my mouth. Good plan right??? WRONG!! The 3rd gel literally stopped my in my tracks as a wave of nausea came over me. I decided it would be best to take care of business urgently so I made my way to the side of the road, vomitted violently about 4-5 times, rinsed my mouth out and took off like a bat out of hell. I.was.furious. With my bout of sickness my mile time jumped up to 8:39, I then thought it would be a good idea to run on anger. My next mile was 6:31,however my legs were HEAVY. You'd think I would feel lighter after an episode of the caliber, however that was not the case. My pace slowed over the next few miles as I got back to Cyclonaut central. As I came up to Jake I asked him where I was in my division (assuming 5th or 6th). He informed me that I was in 5th and to keep pushing. He relayed a message from coach Pat to stick with the pace as best I could. I made the turn and on the way out of town I said to Jake that I was fading. He ran with me for a little while which gave me a bigger boost than I think he realized (thanks dood!).
The second lap was filled with thinking. My pace kept slipping, however there still wasn't anyone passing me. I kept this in the forefront of my mind and repeated over and over again, "keep clipping off miles, keep moving up" This saying helped keep my head in the game. I had been trailing a guy who I assumed was in my age group for at least 3 miles. At one of the aid stations he went to the bathroom and I hit the gas (not really I just kept running). I hoped that he was in my age group and that I had moved up to 4th (thinking at this point that there would be 3 or 4 Kona slots).
I hit the final turn around and continued to try and pick up the pace. It was difficult but made easier everytime I saw a teammate. It really is what makes this club so special. We are easy to spot and all very supportive of one another. The final 7 miles went something like this: run a mile, walk the aid station, take a sponge, have some coke or water, run again. I repeated this every aid station while still trying to get to the finish as soon as possible.
As I came in for the finish I remembered the advice I had received before my first Ironman in Lake Placid 2 years ago: Don't forget the pose for the finish line! I zipped up my jersey, gave my ring a kiss, and pumped my arms in victory.
Notice the comparison between the finsih in '08 and this years finish...
No longer a clydesdale (less than 200lbs) and I managed to celebrate long enough for them to take the picture before becoming an emotional wreck.
I ended up finishing 4th in my age group and missed Kona by 9 minutes (1 slot). I was thrilled that I reached my goal of making the podium (top 5 at WTC events) in my biggest race of the season.
This years race was an incredible one. I am beyond thrilled with my result and I attribute that to a few key people:
KJ for agreeing to let me get a coach and dedicate a serious amount of time to training. I know that I have been a pain in your rear end during our very busy year and you never let me realize it. You let me continue with my plan and get the result I hoped I could.
Coach Pat and QT2 for providing me with the necessary knowledge to train properly and carry out an effective and successful race.
Jake for being an awesome brother and making the trip down to see me. You were at the swim start at Placid before me in 08 ready to cheer, and you were there whenever and whereever I needed you in Florida this year.
Ochoa for being an awesome training buddy. It was beyond helpful having you for those early morning swims at crystal or those late week night bricks. Congrats on an incredible first Ironman, I think you found your distance.
The cyclonaut family for being the best team on the face of the earth. You are the most incredible and inspirational group of people that make training much more enjoyable.
See you at the races...
My road to the Florida Ironman began on a cold day in November of 2009. After hearing about the success my friends had experienced with Quantitative Triathlon Training Systems (QT2) I decided to attain their services for Florida. My goal was to really dedicate a year of hard word and training and see what was actually possible with me and the Ironman. On the flip side, this single year of dedication to sport would also include dedication to my fiance, building a house, starting a new position at work, and planning (and not messing up) a wedding. Kara and I were both up for the challenge and with her support I knew we would both achieve success across all fronts....SPOILER ALERT!!!!! We achieved success on all fronts (but then again you all knew that already).
Flash forward (everyone says fast forward so I'm switching it up a bit) to race week. My head is a bit of a mess. When you are tapering for your big event you tend to have a ton of pent up energy and your mind goes 1,000,000 miles per hour. Some of the things in my head include my calf injury from Mightyman Half one month ago. Thanks to good friend and dynamite PT, OCS Amy Veres my calf was feeling much better and I hadn't had any flair ups in some time. My knee on the other hand was a different story. I had to ship my racing bike down to FL a week early so I didn't have a road bike to ride for my final 3 hour ride one week before the race (this will become my primary arguement as I try to convince KJ to let me get a road bike...good luck right?) I asked my buddy Seth if he would like to join me in the woods for a ride (yes the ride was my idea and Seth and John Hill don't get to take any responsibility for this, only I do). He agreed and Hillman and Andy showed up to join us on a "mellow" ride at Robinson. 2 hours later my knee began to get sharp shooting pains (patella-femoral like for all you fellow PT geeks reading). Seth noticed my seat post had slipped while we were riding and had lowered a centimeter or 2. We called it a day, but the pain stuck around til arriving in FL.
Calf on the mend, knee is shakey, race plan has been reviewed, now its time to land, get car, go to condo, check-in at race tent etc. We get everything taken care of and a few of us decide to go for a quick bike ride to make sure everything is copesethetic with our bikes (and knees).
We make it 2 miles and WHAM!! (and i dont mean the hit music group either) - Sharp knee pain! Uh oh...don't panic...investigate....what makes it worse...what makes it better....how can I compensate? All of these things were running through my head adding to the panic and what ifs.
Friday arrived and with it came sunny skies, Kara's arrival, and bike check in. All responsibilities were again taken care of, plus a 30 minute massage from Manfred (great guy that worked out all the kinks in my legs while also donning me with some sweet pink and light blue kinesio-tape for my calf and knee and most likely my brain). Nutrition that day was also stellar (I ate everything I was suppossed to and then some).
RACE MORNING:
3:30 alarm goes off, apple sauce time! breakfast went down smoothly and back to bed for a cat nap. I met Ochoa in the lobby for 5:30 and headed down to transition.
I was feeling good. I had my 2 best supporters (Jake and KJ) with me, a scary fast race plan, sunny (but cold) skies, and a ton of energy waiting to be expended. As my college assistant swim coach once told us (in regards to tapering for a big event), "You are like a wind up toy. All season long you put in the time and hard work, this is you being wound up. On race day all you have to do is just let go and let the race take care of itself." Time to be let go!
Body mark check, wetsuit on, que the sunrise. My entourage and I along with Ochoa and his fam (minus his brother who still was puzzled by the idea of waking up before the sun) headed towards the beach for the start. I give KJ and Jake a hug and head down to the water to find my spot on the front line of 2400 people on a straight line to the first buoy. The plan was to take out the first 400yds hard then settle into my rhythm. A blast from Sandstorm comes over the speakers, the is jostling for position, a calm comes over the crowd and......BOOM the canon goes off!! I treat the 400 yards like a 50 and am having an awesome turnover with my kick not missing a beat. I manage to hit the first buoy ahead of everyone (woohoo i won the race....wrong!!) I settle into what I feel is a comfortable pace and people slowly begin coming around me. "uh oh, not good, why can't I pull more water?! Are the seas really this choppy? Stay on those feet!" The stretch out to the first turn buoy was tough. I was getting passed, not finding my rhythm, and trying not to panic.
Across the back stretch I begin to catch a little more water with every pull. The magic happened as I turned the second time. It was similiar to swimming the 1000 freestyle and after 100 yards you feel as though you haven't slowed down and might even be going faster! I am grabbing so much water and starting to pass everyone that passed me! I'm not working overly hard and I am absolutely cruising!! I get out of the water after lap 1 and am looking for a clock...don't see one. Where am I? How am I doing? Do I need to go faster?
I run up the beach, under the arch, make the turn and look ahead to see how many people are in front of me....about 3?! What?!!! Oh man this is awsome, I am killing the swim (too bad there is still a long bike and a hard run ahead of me). I pass on the aid station and run down the beach and back into the water. Bad idea, shouldn't have run so hard, I'm tired, I think I can walk past the breaking point...time to swim again. Lap 2 was pretty much the same (no rhythm, people passing me etc) the only difference was I knew I could count on the back stretch of the swim to be fast and I could make up my time there. That is exactly what I did. I really turned it on with about 200 meters to go to get the legs warmed up for the bike. I run up the beach (still no clock) and find a wetsuit stripper. Grab my wet suit and head for T1.
The benefit of having a strong swim is you get spoiled in T1. I had 5 volunteers helping me get all of my bike gear ready, which for the first time included arm warmers...yikes (thanks Jim for saving me with your extra pair). Time to bike!
The Bike:
IMFL has a reputation of being flat, fast, and a draft fest. With only the pros ahead of me along with a few age groupers (2) I know that the packs will at some point catch up to me. I do my best to keep in check the variables that I have control of (nutrition, HR, fluid intake etc). The main thing on my mind however is the temperature...it is freezing! It honestly took me 30-40 miles before I stopped shivering. With the exception of my temperature, everything was going well; I was even ahead of my fluid intake (little did I know this would come back to bite me in rear).
As the miles went up, so did the pressure in my bladder. The longer I rode without listening to my body the higher my heart rate went up and the more I had to back off the bike pace. Every time I took care of business my heart rate dropped dramatically and I was able to put in a good hard effort (until I had to go to the bathroom again). This happened 3 times over the 112 mile bike ride. Between the pressure in my bladder and my frustration of seeing the pack riders, my hear rate was constantly high. This is the downside of riding according to HR as opposed to power. Had I been using a power meter I most likely would have been able to keep the effort consistent despite my level of frustration with other riders.
Lets just take a moment to really look at how close these riders were. The rule is 4 bike lengths between bikes, most times it was less than 2! At one point a pack was coming by me and I actually pointed to a rider ahead of me as I said to the rider passing me "hurry up, grab his wheel, you dont want a gap forming!" He had some words for me, but all i could think was, "I hope you can run as well as you draft!"
The first out and back is somewhere in the 70-80 mile range. This was where I would be looking for my teammates to exchange encouraging words. I saw them a lot sooner than I expected! Jim first, followed by Andy, and ....OCHOA??!! When you are being chased it seems like they are all right on your tail. In this case they actually were! I knoew Jim would be an absolute monster on the bike, so as he passed me just after the second out and back (about 25 miles to go) it was almost a relief. He thought something was majorly wrong which to both our reliefs was not the case. As we hit T2 I was about 2 minutes down to Jim, and only a few minutes ahead of Andy and Ochoa.
My focus going through T2 was to eat my banana, take my gel, and get moving!! The plan for the run was to take it out at 6:35 min/mile and hold on as long as possible. I grabbed all of my nutrition for the first half of the run and was off....and running. I was so focused on nutrition that I left T2 with my arm warmers still on...not part of my plan. Luckily Jake was on the run course about 1/4 mile into it and after getting my garmin squared away I was able to hand them off. I caught up to Jim and after some positive exchanges...pause.... we both continued at our appropriate paces.
I felt great! The cool thing about IMFL run course is that it takes a lot of turns so you feel like you are covering a lot of ground. Before I knew it I was 6 miles in and averaging just above 6:40s. The trouble came at mile 8. I had taken a gel at T2, another at mile 4 and then I took one just before the mile 8 aid station so I could wash the taste of the gel out of my mouth. Good plan right??? WRONG!! The 3rd gel literally stopped my in my tracks as a wave of nausea came over me. I decided it would be best to take care of business urgently so I made my way to the side of the road, vomitted violently about 4-5 times, rinsed my mouth out and took off like a bat out of hell. I.was.furious. With my bout of sickness my mile time jumped up to 8:39, I then thought it would be a good idea to run on anger. My next mile was 6:31,however my legs were HEAVY. You'd think I would feel lighter after an episode of the caliber, however that was not the case. My pace slowed over the next few miles as I got back to Cyclonaut central. As I came up to Jake I asked him where I was in my division (assuming 5th or 6th). He informed me that I was in 5th and to keep pushing. He relayed a message from coach Pat to stick with the pace as best I could. I made the turn and on the way out of town I said to Jake that I was fading. He ran with me for a little while which gave me a bigger boost than I think he realized (thanks dood!).
The second lap was filled with thinking. My pace kept slipping, however there still wasn't anyone passing me. I kept this in the forefront of my mind and repeated over and over again, "keep clipping off miles, keep moving up" This saying helped keep my head in the game. I had been trailing a guy who I assumed was in my age group for at least 3 miles. At one of the aid stations he went to the bathroom and I hit the gas (not really I just kept running). I hoped that he was in my age group and that I had moved up to 4th (thinking at this point that there would be 3 or 4 Kona slots).
I hit the final turn around and continued to try and pick up the pace. It was difficult but made easier everytime I saw a teammate. It really is what makes this club so special. We are easy to spot and all very supportive of one another. The final 7 miles went something like this: run a mile, walk the aid station, take a sponge, have some coke or water, run again. I repeated this every aid station while still trying to get to the finish as soon as possible.
As I came in for the finish I remembered the advice I had received before my first Ironman in Lake Placid 2 years ago: Don't forget the pose for the finish line! I zipped up my jersey, gave my ring a kiss, and pumped my arms in victory.
Notice the comparison between the finsih in '08 and this years finish...
No longer a clydesdale (less than 200lbs) and I managed to celebrate long enough for them to take the picture before becoming an emotional wreck.
I ended up finishing 4th in my age group and missed Kona by 9 minutes (1 slot). I was thrilled that I reached my goal of making the podium (top 5 at WTC events) in my biggest race of the season.
This years race was an incredible one. I am beyond thrilled with my result and I attribute that to a few key people:
KJ for agreeing to let me get a coach and dedicate a serious amount of time to training. I know that I have been a pain in your rear end during our very busy year and you never let me realize it. You let me continue with my plan and get the result I hoped I could.
Coach Pat and QT2 for providing me with the necessary knowledge to train properly and carry out an effective and successful race.
Jake for being an awesome brother and making the trip down to see me. You were at the swim start at Placid before me in 08 ready to cheer, and you were there whenever and whereever I needed you in Florida this year.
Ochoa for being an awesome training buddy. It was beyond helpful having you for those early morning swims at crystal or those late week night bricks. Congrats on an incredible first Ironman, I think you found your distance.
The cyclonaut family for being the best team on the face of the earth. You are the most incredible and inspirational group of people that make training much more enjoyable.
See you at the races...
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Almost Race Day
It is about time!! I have only been waiting for this time to come for just about a year. This time last year I made a fantastic trip down to Panama City Beach FL with a bunch of great teammates to volunteer at Ironman Florida. We went down, had a blast, volunteered, registered, and came home. We rocked the bars til 2am, cheered until just about midnight, and ate our faces off. It was this race where the Speedo Spectators were born.
This time around is going to be different. Rather than grabbing a McGriddle sandwich at the airport before our flight down, I will be have a yogurt, banana, and protein shake. Instead of getting off the plane and stopping at Hardees for double burger deliciousness, I will be looking for my turkey sandwich on white. Rather than closing down Coyote Ugly after pre-gaming at the Hofbrau Beer Garden, I will be checking in and attending the athlete meeting.
Even though both trips have a completely opposite approach and feel to them, they are equally as exciting. I am looking forward to being on the opposite side of the barricades this time around. I have put in a year of very regimented training, made significant dietary changes, and prepared more psychologically then when I was behind the starting blocks of the Collegiate National Championships.
Even more exciting than race arriving however, is knowing that I will be sharing it with a group of wonderful people. I am so grateful to have my wife (still sounds funny), my little brother Jake, and a swarm of teammates and their families to share this with. And even though a lot of people wished they could have made it but are unable to at this time, I know that they will be supporting me back home, following me online, and sending good vibes my way. I can't wait to write up my race report for this one. This race has been a long time coming and it is finally here.
See ya on the other side of finishing tape!
This time around is going to be different. Rather than grabbing a McGriddle sandwich at the airport before our flight down, I will be have a yogurt, banana, and protein shake. Instead of getting off the plane and stopping at Hardees for double burger deliciousness, I will be looking for my turkey sandwich on white. Rather than closing down Coyote Ugly after pre-gaming at the Hofbrau Beer Garden, I will be checking in and attending the athlete meeting.
Even though both trips have a completely opposite approach and feel to them, they are equally as exciting. I am looking forward to being on the opposite side of the barricades this time around. I have put in a year of very regimented training, made significant dietary changes, and prepared more psychologically then when I was behind the starting blocks of the Collegiate National Championships.
Even more exciting than race arriving however, is knowing that I will be sharing it with a group of wonderful people. I am so grateful to have my wife (still sounds funny), my little brother Jake, and a swarm of teammates and their families to share this with. And even though a lot of people wished they could have made it but are unable to at this time, I know that they will be supporting me back home, following me online, and sending good vibes my way. I can't wait to write up my race report for this one. This race has been a long time coming and it is finally here.
See ya on the other side of finishing tape!
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Monday, October 4, 2010
Mightyman Half Iron Race Report
Wow, I am finally caught up! A race report within 48 hours of racing, that is unheard of for me.
I left good ole Belchertown at 6:00am, Saturday morning to drive out to Millbury to meet up with Andy who was also going to be racing the Mighty Man Half. After loading my stuff up in his truck we headed into town for a big breakfast. We eat managed to polish off 3 large blueberry pancakes, 2 slices of french toast, 2 eggs, and home fries...no small task. Our plan was to head down to Montauk Long Island for around noon. Three ferry rides later we arrived just as they were wrapping up the first race briefing. We decided it would be best to get some food, drive the bike course and be back in time for the 2:30 race briefing.
The bike course is 2 loops of 28 miles with a total of 2300 feet of elevation, not too bad if you ask me. There were 5 out and backs so we would have plenty of chances to see who was around us on race day. One particular out and back goes out to the Montauk Lighthouse. It was here that we decided to be good citizens (or complete idiots) and pick up a hitchhiker that was looking for a ride back into town. It turned out be a nice gesture rather that a horror film...phew. Our outlook on the bike course was that there were some decent hills but also a fair amount of flat spots that would could potentially allow us to get into a good rhythm.
Race briefing seemed to go on forever (Andy and I both fell asleep "listening") and after that it was time for some more relaxation. 2 hours of Ryder Cup coverage, followed by the run course preview and our dinner. Run course was similar to the bike course in that the first 3 miles were flat, then you had about 2.5 miles of pretty serious hills (not as bad as Providence 70.3 though), followed by the final mile of flat/slight inclined gradient. The funny thing about this run course was that in race history, not many were able to run under 1:30. Andy and I both saw this as an acceptable challenge and couldn't wait til race day.
In bed by 7:30, up by 3:00 for breakfast (need time to digest) then it was off to set up transition around 5:45. Andy and I were both in the first wave which was to go off at 6:40. Conditions were going to be challenging as well as the forecast predicted wind gusts up to 30 mph, clouds, and temps in the low 60s. Water temp for the swim was in the mid 60s. The swim was in a fresh water pond but looked as though it was on the longer side of 1.2 miles. As we lined up I kept running through my race plan in my head, "...swim well, bike better, run best..." Horn went off and the arms started flailing. I attacked the first 200 meters hard and was able to get into a good rhythm for the remainder of the swim. Swim was fairly smooth until we turned to head back to the shore at which time we were hit with more noticeable swells and wind. I exited the water in first with about a 3 minute lead.
Swim Time: 26:15
I decided to forgo the arm warmers and headed out on the bike. The plan here was to average 163 bpm and ride as steady as possible. Man was it windy! My race wheels acted like sails and if I didn't have a good grip on my aerobars I was all over the place. I felt pretty good for the first portion and was looking forward to hitting the first out and back so I could see where my competition was. I would take note of where we passed and see if that changed on the second lap. I did this with multiple out and backs so I would have more references. The funny thing is, whether my lead changed or not, I was going to stay in my proper heart rate zone, so I guess it was more so for frame of mind.
At around mile 45 I counted to see how many minutes my lead was on second place and it ended up being 8 minutes. I was thrilled to figure this out because I had to go #1 pretty bad and if I had a little time to use the port-o-jon in T2 then I would rather than warming my left leg up (if you know what I mean). I got all of my nutrition down that was necessary prior to T2, got off the bike, put on socks and shoes, and headed for the can. The crowd found this particularly humorous because the jons were actually outside of T2, so as I exited transition I gave the mountain biker escort a "hang on one sec" gesture and jumped in to take care of business. Felt wayyyy better after that and now it was time to test the run. My plan here was to keep it under 175 bpm and if I could start out around 6:00 -6:15 pace. After about 3 miles I got word from the bike escort that my lead after T2 was 10 minutes. I kept to the plan and continued to click away mile by mile.
Bike Time:2:26.39
The really fun part about this race was the volunteers at the aid stations and intersections. They were awesome. They cheered for me by name as I came through, made jokes, and really helped take my mind off of the race for brief periods of time while also giving me something to look forward to next time I would see them.
It was in the hills of the run course that I got my first look at second place which ended up being 2 miles back. This gave me even more drive to press forward. I passed Andy and he looked as strong as ever. I swear no matter how fast I'm going (or how fast I feel I'm going), Andy always looks like he is going twice as fast. He was sitting in sixth and looking to hunt people down. I looped by transition to start lap 2 and after a huge applause from the crowd, volunteers, and announcer I was off for the final lap. The energy at this race was unbelievable!! Lap 2 was more of the same great energy and more consistent miles. On the second lap out and back I saw that I had increased my lead, and with just over 1.5 miles to go I knew it was mine. Now it was me vs the clock for a PR. My PR leading up to this race was a 4:29 at Firm Man following Lake Placid in 2008, and I was hoping this was going to be faster. I had no idea what my swim time was while I was on course. I knew I was going to PR I just didn't know by how much. I pushed myself as hard as I could and was able to close the race with a 5:45 mile. I rounded the corner for the finishing shoot and saw 4:16 on the clock!! I gave a quick kiss to my wedding ban (KJ couldn't make it and I usually stop to give her a smooch before the finish line if I can because of all the support she gives me) and crossed the line with arms raised.
Run Time: 1:22.01
Overall Time: 4:16.42 PR
This race was an incredible experience. They really made me feel like a star with a post race interview, a chat with the race director and nonstop congratulatory remarks. Andy crossed in what we thought was third place (ended up being 6th) with a PR as well. He and I had the fastest run splits of the individual racers, both well under 1:30. This race gave me lots of positive energy heading into the final 2 week build for IMFL.
I want to thank Andy for making the trip with me. I think it is safe to say we fed off of each others energy really well and as a result pushed ourselves to race bests. KJ for being so understanding of the time and energy needed to be successful in this sport. To my Coach, Pat who has given me the proper knowledge and information necessary to improve. To the Cyclonauts; the best team around! I have learned so much and grown so much with everyone and attribute any success I experience to the club as a whole. Can't wait to share the IMFL adventure with all of you!!
I left good ole Belchertown at 6:00am, Saturday morning to drive out to Millbury to meet up with Andy who was also going to be racing the Mighty Man Half. After loading my stuff up in his truck we headed into town for a big breakfast. We eat managed to polish off 3 large blueberry pancakes, 2 slices of french toast, 2 eggs, and home fries...no small task. Our plan was to head down to Montauk Long Island for around noon. Three ferry rides later we arrived just as they were wrapping up the first race briefing. We decided it would be best to get some food, drive the bike course and be back in time for the 2:30 race briefing.
The bike course is 2 loops of 28 miles with a total of 2300 feet of elevation, not too bad if you ask me. There were 5 out and backs so we would have plenty of chances to see who was around us on race day. One particular out and back goes out to the Montauk Lighthouse. It was here that we decided to be good citizens (or complete idiots) and pick up a hitchhiker that was looking for a ride back into town. It turned out be a nice gesture rather that a horror film...phew. Our outlook on the bike course was that there were some decent hills but also a fair amount of flat spots that would could potentially allow us to get into a good rhythm.
Race briefing seemed to go on forever (Andy and I both fell asleep "listening") and after that it was time for some more relaxation. 2 hours of Ryder Cup coverage, followed by the run course preview and our dinner. Run course was similar to the bike course in that the first 3 miles were flat, then you had about 2.5 miles of pretty serious hills (not as bad as Providence 70.3 though), followed by the final mile of flat/slight inclined gradient. The funny thing about this run course was that in race history, not many were able to run under 1:30. Andy and I both saw this as an acceptable challenge and couldn't wait til race day.
In bed by 7:30, up by 3:00 for breakfast (need time to digest) then it was off to set up transition around 5:45. Andy and I were both in the first wave which was to go off at 6:40. Conditions were going to be challenging as well as the forecast predicted wind gusts up to 30 mph, clouds, and temps in the low 60s. Water temp for the swim was in the mid 60s. The swim was in a fresh water pond but looked as though it was on the longer side of 1.2 miles. As we lined up I kept running through my race plan in my head, "...swim well, bike better, run best..." Horn went off and the arms started flailing. I attacked the first 200 meters hard and was able to get into a good rhythm for the remainder of the swim. Swim was fairly smooth until we turned to head back to the shore at which time we were hit with more noticeable swells and wind. I exited the water in first with about a 3 minute lead.
Swim Time: 26:15
I decided to forgo the arm warmers and headed out on the bike. The plan here was to average 163 bpm and ride as steady as possible. Man was it windy! My race wheels acted like sails and if I didn't have a good grip on my aerobars I was all over the place. I felt pretty good for the first portion and was looking forward to hitting the first out and back so I could see where my competition was. I would take note of where we passed and see if that changed on the second lap. I did this with multiple out and backs so I would have more references. The funny thing is, whether my lead changed or not, I was going to stay in my proper heart rate zone, so I guess it was more so for frame of mind.
At around mile 45 I counted to see how many minutes my lead was on second place and it ended up being 8 minutes. I was thrilled to figure this out because I had to go #1 pretty bad and if I had a little time to use the port-o-jon in T2 then I would rather than warming my left leg up (if you know what I mean). I got all of my nutrition down that was necessary prior to T2, got off the bike, put on socks and shoes, and headed for the can. The crowd found this particularly humorous because the jons were actually outside of T2, so as I exited transition I gave the mountain biker escort a "hang on one sec" gesture and jumped in to take care of business. Felt wayyyy better after that and now it was time to test the run. My plan here was to keep it under 175 bpm and if I could start out around 6:00 -6:15 pace. After about 3 miles I got word from the bike escort that my lead after T2 was 10 minutes. I kept to the plan and continued to click away mile by mile.
Bike Time:2:26.39
The really fun part about this race was the volunteers at the aid stations and intersections. They were awesome. They cheered for me by name as I came through, made jokes, and really helped take my mind off of the race for brief periods of time while also giving me something to look forward to next time I would see them.
It was in the hills of the run course that I got my first look at second place which ended up being 2 miles back. This gave me even more drive to press forward. I passed Andy and he looked as strong as ever. I swear no matter how fast I'm going (or how fast I feel I'm going), Andy always looks like he is going twice as fast. He was sitting in sixth and looking to hunt people down. I looped by transition to start lap 2 and after a huge applause from the crowd, volunteers, and announcer I was off for the final lap. The energy at this race was unbelievable!! Lap 2 was more of the same great energy and more consistent miles. On the second lap out and back I saw that I had increased my lead, and with just over 1.5 miles to go I knew it was mine. Now it was me vs the clock for a PR. My PR leading up to this race was a 4:29 at Firm Man following Lake Placid in 2008, and I was hoping this was going to be faster. I had no idea what my swim time was while I was on course. I knew I was going to PR I just didn't know by how much. I pushed myself as hard as I could and was able to close the race with a 5:45 mile. I rounded the corner for the finishing shoot and saw 4:16 on the clock!! I gave a quick kiss to my wedding ban (KJ couldn't make it and I usually stop to give her a smooch before the finish line if I can because of all the support she gives me) and crossed the line with arms raised.
Run Time: 1:22.01
Overall Time: 4:16.42 PR
This race was an incredible experience. They really made me feel like a star with a post race interview, a chat with the race director and nonstop congratulatory remarks. Andy crossed in what we thought was third place (ended up being 6th) with a PR as well. He and I had the fastest run splits of the individual racers, both well under 1:30. This race gave me lots of positive energy heading into the final 2 week build for IMFL.
I want to thank Andy for making the trip with me. I think it is safe to say we fed off of each others energy really well and as a result pushed ourselves to race bests. KJ for being so understanding of the time and energy needed to be successful in this sport. To my Coach, Pat who has given me the proper knowledge and information necessary to improve. To the Cyclonauts; the best team around! I have learned so much and grown so much with everyone and attribute any success I experience to the club as a whole. Can't wait to share the IMFL adventure with all of you!!
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