Westfield Wave Race Recap

The last few months have been beyond busy and I still can't believe how quickly they have gone by. One minute I am venturing to ride outside and the next minute Syracuse is here which means Lake Placid is only 4 weeks away!!

 I have been putting in as much time as I can with training while still balancing the responsibilities of home ownership and a career which has more than its fair share of action over the last 8 weeks. It isn't always easy, however when things are put into perspective and I am reminded of sacrifices made on my behalf, it gets my butt out of bed and into the pool or onto my bike. This is the first season in which I have waited until June to race. I typically complete the Sheriff Sprint Tri in April just to get the cobwebs off. This year, with Lake Placid being the big focus and really the only thing that matters, I only raced when it was appropriate and the first round came at the Cyclonauts very own Wave Triathlon.

 The Westfield Wave is a .3 swim, 13 bike, and 3 mile run that our club puts on to benefit the Westfield YMCA Swim Team. This was my first year racing it and my first time testing out my new Lazer Tardiz aero helmet. Keeping with tradition, I dubbed this race my speedo race for the year and raced in my custom thatrunnerchick.com speedo in order to promote my friend Courtney's blog (check it out) I was really looking forward to this race because it was so short and you get to put the pedal to the metal the entire time. 

When the gun went off I sprinted towards the front of the pack only to find someone to my left that was just ahead of me. Instead of letting my ego get the best of me I decided to be smart and tucked in right behind him to draft off of him. It worked for 2/3s of the swim until I swallowed some water and he opened a small gap. By the time we hit T1 I was able to catch up to him and we exited T1 at nearly the same time. The cool thing about this race is there was a motorcycle escort for the lead biker and I was determined to take full advantage of that. I got my feet in my pedals and and proceeded to step on it! The bike course has a few little rollers for the first half of the loop (which you do twice) and has a pretty nice downhill and flat back stretch to end the loop. I pushed up the hills and pushed harder on the downs and flats. My goal was to try and break 30 minutes for the 13 mile bike. After lap 1 I was just under 16 minutes. Because it is a two loop course and the second lap is more congested the motorcycle pulled off after lap one. I continued to go all out really seeing why kind of top end speed and power I still had after training solely for the long/steady/aerobic race that is Ironman. At the end of the second lap I pulled into T2 with a time just over 30 minutes and a pretty solid lead heading into the run. 

As I left T2 I was greeted by my teammate Jill who was the run leader escort on her mountain bike. Because of recent computer issues I was running this leg without a watch and totally on feel. The 3 mile run is an out and back which allows you to see whos behind you and how far back they are at the turn around. The run is essentially 1.5 miles up a couple of rollers and 1.5 miles back down. As I made my way back I saw that I had a pretty solid lead on Scott Green (local guy that was in second) and Jill shouted the lead was about .8 miles. Right after Scott came Jimmy and Ochoa both moving along very well. As I made the turn into the park I was able to see the race clock from about 300 feet away and was hoping it would say 58 or 59 minutes. Much to my surprise (and liking) it said 55 minutes! I pushed hard all the way through the finish and then shut it down.

 It felt awesome to push as hard as possible and race the run portion purely on feel. In the end I got the overall win with Jimmy getting 3rd and Ochoa getting 4th. My next opportunity to race would be Syracuse in 2 weeks which means Placid is only 6 weeks away. Syracuse Race Report coming soon...

  Bike Data

Back to Life, Back to Reality...

After a few visits with Erik (my PT), I am feeling better and better with my running. I haven't had pain and have been able to run up to 45 minutes at once. As expected, there was a little bit of lost fitness, but with how quickly it arrived at the start of my training I am confident it will return in a fairly short time.

At this point I am right in the heart of my training. It is week 17 of 30 and the volume and intensity are both picking up. This time of year is generally my favorite as the weather starts to warm up and race season is upon us. Everyone is itching to race and road races no longer satisfy that desire. This is without a doubt the most successful and dedicated winter I have ever had. My fitness is well ahead of schedule, my weight is right where it needs to be for the time being and I already have a ton of miles in my legs. Given my current state, all I want to do is RACE!!

Ironman Lake Placid and Syracuse 70.3 are the only races I am currently registered for. LP is obviously the focus and Cuse is just a tune up for Placid as it is 4 weeks prior to the big day. Me being me, I have been looking all over the northeast for races that fit my training prior to Cuse. All I want to do is showcase my fitness and kick some ass. With my mind going a million miles per hour and legs jonesing for a race I temporarily lost track of what the big goal is....Kona. Lucky for me, I have a great friend with a wealth of experience in this area and he did for me what a true friend would do and gave me a hard dose of reality:

"Don't worry about it (race next weekend). Remember Kona is the goal. Having fun is no longer part of training."
Me: so don't race quabbin or the sprint tri? Just stick with planned volume?
"Yup. Its not fun I know but you have to put your eggs in the training basket... I know its boring but in terms of giving you the best possible chance those 5 hour rides are key."

Its true, Ironman (and even half irons) aren't short races. I know I can get pumped for a sprint and have a great day and a ton of fun in the process. That said, it will be a great feeling when I get off my bike at Placid in under 5.5 hours and can still run a great marathon. Punching that ticket to the big island is all that matters, even if it means I don't get to race the Speedo Challenge this year. Some people give you ego boosts and all the confidence in the world, then some people tell you what you need to hear, when you need to hear it.

That said, you will see me at the Speedo Challenge. I may not be in one of my new custom speedos and I may not be on the start list, but you can count on me watching the fireworks happen as it is anyones race, and just being there will continue to stoke the fire that will really explode on July 22.

Paul


ps, I have successfully linked Soul II Soul and triathlon...youre welcome

Improving Fitness, fast races, and scary injuries

My fitness feels good great. With work and training being the two large commitments, it is much easier to get the workouts done without worrying about wedding plans or moving. As a result my weight is right where I want it to be, my paces are ahead of schedule, and the results are supporting it all.

In the last 2 months I have completed two road races; Hyannis Half Marathon and the Holyoke St Patrick's Day Road Race (10K). Both races resulted in significantly faster PRs and the expected amount of pain given the times. I couldn't be happier with where I am was 1 week ago.

On Sunday April 1st I had a long run of 101 minutes planned with the last half hour or so at Z2. It was awesome that it happen to coincide with the Westfield Half Marathon. My plan was to do my long run during the race and stay within my appropriate zones. This way I could run with many people, and still get all the time in that I needed. When the gun went off I went out like I would on any Sunday run as opposed to the fast push that is present when I am actually racing. The first few miles are net uphill and as a result my pace was a little on the slower side. As the run went on my pace began to fall. I settled in around 6:45s and just kept an eye on my watch so I knew when to kick it up into zone 2. I was running with Mike C just before the zone 2 kick which was nice because talking helps distract you for a few minutes. I think Mike appreciated it too as he was toughing out the last 2 miles after coming off some rest post Panama 70.3.

As the finish line go closer I turned around and began running the course in reverse. I had another 12-15 minutes and figured it would be best to double back to cheer on the teammates. When all was said and done, I had run just over 15 miles at 6:39 pace with an average HR at the top of zone 1! And to think I was still almost 4 months out from race day! I packed my things up and headed over to New England Bike to pick up Gus which had a newly installed power meter!

The next morning I woke up with a bit of pain in my sacral region (think northern butt crack). I wasn't sure what it was, but shrugged it off as tightness and headed to the pool. I felt great the rest of the day, but unfortunately woke up with the same sensation on Tuesday morning. Again, it improved as the day went on and so I went out for my bike and run as planned. The bike felt great, but unfortunately the run did not. I hopped off my bike and took off running with the first mile in Z2. I was hauling a$$ when the pain worsened at about the half mile mark. I backed off immediately and began jumping to conclusions just as fast. I decided it would be best to hold off on the running until I get some answers but keep with the biking and swimming since they didn't cause pain.

Fast forward to today, almost 10 days later, and I finally have my PT eval. For a week I have been expecting a stress fracture and trying to get my head into a good place on how to handle the news once my PT confirms it. I went to a local PT that had been recommended by two different friends of mine that are also ortho PTs. I would have loved to see Mike Roberts at Central Mass PT and Wellness unfortunately the secret is out and its no shock that Mike is booked a week out. Instead I went to see Erik at Attain and am happy I did.

I didn't tell Erik that I am a PT because I didn't want to impact his eval at all. I am not saying that I would have, however I know that I am the worst person to try and diagnose and treat myself, so I figured the further out of it I stood, the better. I was right. He was very thorough in his eval and arrived at a combination of things that ultimately contributed to an alignment issue. I now have my homework to do and will be following up with him on Thursday. The best part is that Erik is 99% it is NOT a stress fracture!! (this is why I don't diagnose myself, my clinical judgement is obviously clouded when it pertains to me).

I am back to a happy place where I am still able to swim and bike, and will be able to return to running much sooner than later. Even though it has only been a week, it feels like an eternity! It would have likely felt like much longer had I not had such great friends and club mates checking in with me on a daily basis.

The best part is that there is a chance I will be ready to race at the Sherriff Sprint at the end of month! This is going to be the showdowns of all showdowns as at least 3 past champions will be racing as well numerous contenders.

On a side note, I am currently awaiting two new speedos. One is my best creation to date, and the second one is a bit of a publicity stunt. Either way keep your eyes peeled (or covered) because they will be surfacing in the next couple of weeks.

In the mean time, its back to the foam roller...


Hyannis Half Marathon
Holyoke St Pats 10K
Westfield Half (long run):

Need Motivation?

Here are a few videos that get me pretty fired up. First off you may want to pause or mute the music player at the very bottom of the page. The first video is where I got the idea for the first song on my blog's playlist. Enjoy!



This next one is the extended version of what was just a clip in the first video. By the way, Bevan Docherty is not in the light blue kit...



Last but definitely not least, vintage Cyclonauts. Thanks to Jim for getting the club into Ironman racing and making this video, #goodstuff


*writers note - Jim is still crushing it and leading the way for Cyclonauts. He recently did 600 miles in 6 days on his bike. Dont believe me? Check out the proof: www.eastcoastcrib.com

Less than 6 months til Placid...

6 Weeks In

I am off to a much improved start in comparison to my build for Ironman Florida in 2010. With just under 6 months until game time the work is getting done and the fitness is coming around steadily.

It's amazing how much of a difference it makes when you actually have the time and energy to get the volume in. When I was training for Florida my life was much busier. KJ and I were building a house, planning a wedding, and working full time. Now we are married, have a house, and "only" working full time.

KJ has been amazing is allowing me to get my volume in without any guilt trips of her increase in house work. I have a great set up for training which makes it that much easier to just go get it done without having to drive to a gym or wait for said gym to open. Whats better is there is room for friends and teammates to join in the fun. There has been at least 3-4 people here every Tuesday and Thursday and occasionally on the weekend to get the miles done together. The time goes by so much faster and we are able to help motivate one another.

This past weekend was a great weekend of training. Saturday was my buddy Bill Wheeler's birthday. He is an avid runner training for the Boston Marathon. In honor of his 32nd birthday we planned to run 32 miles...or at least Mary and Doug did. The rest of us chose our specific distances based on where are fitness was.

Jim and Kelly came over prior to the run for a quick spin in the basement. We then went to the center of town to meet up with everyone. Jim and I ran 13.5 while Kelly threw down arond 11 or so. We all headed back to the house for another 30 min on the bike before meeting back up for a bite and beer with everyone else.

Sunday was spent at Jim and Kelly's spinning for 3+ hours. We started with 7 people and at the end there were 4 of us remaining. It was times like this weekend when I am appreciative for my teammates. Lots of laughs and lots of miles.

Unfortunately my run on Sunday was cut a little short due to a minor hip irritation. I attribute it to the fact that I may have over done it a little bit earlier in the week and not stretched appropriately. Regardless of the cause, I am resting and stretching it now and will test it out on Wednesday.

In the meantime, I will remain on track. Up to this point I haven't missed a single minute of any workout with the exception of some run time from Friday which will be made up this week. Its a great feeling and I can't wait to see what it does for me on July 22. During a run with Pat about 10 days ago, he passed on some great advice to help keep me focused. It has already manifested itself at the forefront of my mind and will remain there until further notice.
Up next is the Hyannis Half Marathon at the end of this month and hopefully some more nice weather to keep the indoor training to a minimum.

Getting late and time for bed...early ride in the am!

Adios!

2 Feet First

As in jumping back into training. This week marked the official start of my prep towards Lake Placid Ironman in July 2012. Over this past July 4th weekend, while sitting at the beach with Kara and her family the discussion of starting a family came up. Being that it was the middle of the tri season and my current schedule included Providence 70.3 the following weekend as a qualifier for Vegas 70.3 Worlds, my thoughts were to start a family towards the end of the 2011 tri season. At that point Al (KJ's father) chimed in asking if I was going to take another shot at Kona before starting a family. My response was that family was more important and I have my entire life to qualify for Kona (even if its in my 80s). Al encouraged me a little more saying that I should take another shot at it before kids since I was so close at my last attempt. Kara agreed and I decided Lake Placid would be my qualifier.

Because I was given this new opportunity I thought it better to put all my chips in one basket and cut the 2011 season short following USAT nationals in August. This allowed me to take an early off season and really gear up for the start of training come December.

December has now arrived (and is almost over) and so the official training has begun. I have a new found confidence and drive taking me into this 30 week block culminating in Lake Placid. There a few additional races along the way that will be good benchmarks and prep opportunities.

So will it happen? I would love nothing more than to make it to Kona. Having said that, I also know that in the sport of triathlon, just saying the word Kona can be a jinx. Many that set out for it do not mention it while in training. They may talk generally about Kona, but when someone is asked directly if they think they can make it to the Big Island, the athlete often deflects or answers vaguely. Well here is my answer. YES. I know I have the ability to get there. If I complete all of my workouts, eat properly, sleep adequetely, and control all of the variables that are in my power, then I will be booking a trip to Hawaii at the end of July. Obviously there are things that I can not control; mechanical issues, training injuries, and events of that sort. That said, I am putting myself out there. In an effort to make myself both vulnerable and accountable between now and July 22, 2012. I am not going to deny it and I am not going to celebrate it. My objective it not to be cocky or over confident, it is to simply believe in myself, stick to my plan and hopefully show others that there is no such thing as superstition when you make a plan, stick to it, and work hard for your dreams.

Paulito

Lake Placid Speedo Guys

Guilty!! For the second year in a row, Ironman Lake Placid was stormed by the Speedo Guys? This year we were able to recruit two more, one of which is the Mankini Man that made his first appearance at Ironman Florida in 2009. We have already been featured on 2 different websites. Pics for now can be found here: (you may have to copy and paste the links due to technical difficulties)
http://thatrunnerchick.com

and here:

http://www.xtri.com/galleries/item/284-itemId.511712674.html

Enjoy! More pics to come