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Escape From Alcatraz Ask Me Anything
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Hey Slowtwitch! My last AMA after St. George went over very well, so I figured you might have some questions about this weekend. It unfolded in a much different way than expected, but I was thrilled to be able to take home the win.

Feel free to ask me about anything. My team and I will be releasing more info about how the race went down soon, but you guys can have the first crack.
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Re: Escape From Alcatraz Ask Me Anything [BenKanute] [ In reply to ]
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Congrats on the win. Would you say that a canceled swim helped you, given the field on this day?
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Re: Escape From Alcatraz Ask Me Anything [BenKanute] [ In reply to ]
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As a fellow Wildcat, Bear Down and congrats on the win!

-------------------------------------------------------------
Tough Times Don't Last, Tough People Do.
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Re: Escape From Alcatraz Ask Me Anything [BenKanute] [ In reply to ]
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So I googled you, seems like you are kind of a big deal so maybe you can help me haha. I see you were a talented high school athlete and chose not to compete at the collegiate level. I'm currently a d1 cross country/track runner wanting to possibly branch off into the triathlon world. Do you have any regrets? Any recommendations? I have the potential to compete possibly on the national level if my progression is consistent and I stay healthy. I do love running but I feel like there's more I'm capable of. My first triathlon is this Sunday and although I have no prior training for it I am beyond excited; more excited than I have been about any track race in years. If I drop the collegiate career for triathlons is there anything you recommend? tips on finding a team or coach that can help me advance to an elite level? I want to go all in on this sport and compete with the best of them and I seriously think I have the potential to do so. Thanks
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Re: Escape From Alcatraz Ask Me Anything [BenKanute] [ In reply to ]
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Based on my extensive research, Alcatraz hasn't been an active penitentiary since 1963. What exactly were you escaping from?
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Re: Escape From Alcatraz Ask Me Anything [nickwhite] [ In reply to ]
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nickwhite wrote:
Congrats on the win. Would you say that a canceled swim helped you, given the field on this day?

Thanks! I actually think it hurt my chances. I have always been known as a swim/biker, and even more so as a swimmer. Taking the swim out of the race helped a lot of guys who are more runners than anything.

Alcatraz is a unique race because the amount of swimming is comparable to the bike and run. It is roughly 25-30 min of swimming for about 45 min of biking and running each. If I could, I would lengthen the swim in most races...that would probably help me out a lot.
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Re: Escape From Alcatraz Ask Me Anything [TriSpencer] [ In reply to ]
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TriSpencer wrote:
As a fellow Wildcat, Bear Down and congrats on the win!

Thanks! Bear Down!!
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Re: Escape From Alcatraz Ask Me Anything [BenKanute] [ In reply to ]
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Congrats on your race..and congrats that you didn't make Dan's list of terrible positions on the tri bike!

Did the cancelled swim change your strategy much? Did you make any last minute gear changes b/c of it?
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Re: Escape From Alcatraz Ask Me Anything [BenKanute] [ In reply to ]
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What were you in for?

Sorry, couldn't resist. Congratulations on a great race!

Travis Rassat
Vector Cycle Works
Noblesville, IN
BikeFit Instructor | FMS | F.I.S.T. | IBFI
Toughman Triathlon Series Ambassador
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Re: Escape From Alcatraz Ask Me Anything [Kylek42] [ In reply to ]
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Kylek42 wrote:
So I googled you, seems like you are kind of a big deal so maybe you can help me haha. I see you were a talented high school athlete and chose not to compete at the collegiate level. I'm currently a d1 cross country/track runner wanting to possibly branch off into the triathlon world. Do you have any regrets? Any recommendations? I have the potential to compete possibly on the national level if my progression is consistent and I stay healthy. I do love running but I feel like there's more I'm capable of. My first triathlon is this Sunday and although I have no prior training for it I am beyond excited; more excited than I have been about any track race in years. If I drop the collegiate career for triathlons is there anything you recommend? tips on finding a team or coach that can help me advance to an elite level? I want to go all in on this sport and compete with the best of them and I seriously think I have the potential to do so. Thanks

I have absolutely no regrets about not doing a d1 sport in college. I knew that I wanted to focus more on triathlon. I had done cross and swim in his school, and I was tired of jumping around single sports. I was ready to go all in with triathlon. However, that is not to say my way is the best. I chose to do it in a non traditional way, and I encourage everyone going into college to do what they think will benefit them the most (whether this is d1 sports, tri or some other combo we haven't seen yet).

This is a pretty loaded question, so feel free to reach put to me for more in depth and well thought out answers. Good luck in your first tri!
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Re: Escape From Alcatraz Ask Me Anything [dhr] [ In reply to ]
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dhr wrote:
Based on my extensive research, Alcatraz hasn't been an active penitentiary since 1963. What exactly were you escaping from?

Mediocrity
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Re: Escape From Alcatraz Ask Me Anything [d00d] [ In reply to ]
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d00d wrote:
Congrats on your race..and congrats that you didn't make Dan's list of terrible positions on the tri bike!

Did the cancelled swim change your strategy much? Did you make any last minute gear changes b/c of it?

Thanks! I have cyclologic to thank for the position!

I did not have to adjust too much. No gear changes. Mostly had to make a mental jump and get excited despite not being able to swim.
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Re: Escape From Alcatraz Ask Me Anything [Travis R] [ In reply to ]
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Travis R wrote:
What were you in for?

Sorry, couldn't resist. Congratulations on a great race!

Pre meditated murder of the bike course
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Re: Escape From Alcatraz Ask Me Anything [BenKanute] [ In reply to ]
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BenKanute wrote:
Travis R wrote:
What were you in for?

Sorry, couldn't resist. Congratulations on a great race!


Pre meditated murder of the bike course

Guilty as charged!

Travis Rassat
Vector Cycle Works
Noblesville, IN
BikeFit Instructor | FMS | F.I.S.T. | IBFI
Toughman Triathlon Series Ambassador
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Re: Escape From Alcatraz Ask Me Anything [BenKanute] [ In reply to ]
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Did you have to show your ID at packet pickup? Do you even bother with the t-shirt and string bag? Does it even make it past the first trash can?

And do you guys have a separate "mandatory pre-race meeting"?

I'm actually not really kidding asking this. I'm fascinated by the dichotomy of the sport that you don't see elsewhere. With the exception of separate transitions for the pros I've seen at some races (never done Alcatraz, so I have no idea if they do that or not. I'm presuming they do)....the pros are to a large degree lumped in with a lot of goof-offs like me. Same course. Same rules. Same space. Often times we're on the road together at it's not unusual for you to have to lap us on a looped course. I'm guessing all but a handful of the race staff/volunteers (when you add up everyone involved...packet volunteers, street corner standers, aid station people, lifeguards, etc) know you by name, let alone sight. I once saw Hunter Kemper get hassled trying to retrieve his bike after a race in which he won and for some reason didn't have his wristband. Those of us standing there vouched for him. The poor volunteer caved. We shouldn't have put that volunteer in that position. It's sort of like having a whiffle ball tournament in between every inning of a MLB game.

I guess, are we a royal PITA? Or really, just a non-existent entity that really doesn't cause to much grief or trouble? I would assume it can vary from race to race. Alcatraz I assume attracts generally a little more experienced crowd.

If I were kidding I would have asked how much Dungeness crab you ate and what was the cringiest thing you saw or heard from an age grouper over the weekend. Or the Reddit AMA question of whether you'd want to fight 100 chickens, or one chicken the size of 100 chickens.
Last edited by: aj```: Jun 13, 17 13:05
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Re: Escape From Alcatraz Ask Me Anything [BenKanute] [ In reply to ]
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Hi Ben! Great race!

On the run, how did you pace it? All out the entire time? Hold back a few miles then let loose?
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Re: Escape From Alcatraz Ask Me Anything [BenKanute] [ In reply to ]
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Did the high winds affect the bike much?

Hillary Trout
San Luis Obispo, CA

Your trip is short. Make the most of it.
https://www.slogoing.net/
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Re: Escape From Alcatraz Ask Me Anything [aj```] [ In reply to ]
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aj``` wrote:
Did you have to show your ID at packet pickup? Do you even bother with the t-shirt and string bag? Does it even make it past the first trash can?

And do you guys have a separate "mandatory pre-race meeting"?

I'm actually not really kidding asking this. I'm fascinated by the dichotomy of the sport that you don't see elsewhere. With the exception of separate transitions for the pros I've seen at some races (never done Alcatraz, so I have no idea if they do that or not. I'm presuming they do)....the pros are to a large degree lumped in with a lot of goof-offs like me. Same course. Same rules. Same space. Often times we're on the road together at it's not unusual for you to have to lap us on a looped course. I'm guessing all but a handful of the race staff/volunteers (when you add up everyone involved...packet volunteers, street corner standers, aid station people, lifeguards, etc) know you by name, let alone sight. I once saw Hunter Kemper get hassled trying to retrieve his bike after a race in which he won and for some reason didn't have his wristband. Those of us standing there vouched for him. The poor volunteer caved. We shouldn't have put that volunteer in that position. It's sort of like having a whiffle ball tournament in between every inning of a MLB game.

I guess, are we a royal PITA? Or really, just a non-existent entity that really doesn't cause to much grief or trouble? I would assume it can vary from race to race. Alcatraz I assume attracts generally a little more experienced crowd.

If I were kidding I would have asked how much Dungeness crap you ate and what was the cringiest thing you saw or heard from an age grouper over the weekend. Or the Reddit AMA question of whether you'd want to fight 100 chickens, or one chicken the size of 100 chickens.

The packet pickup is different for each race (this races gear was pretty sick so I kept it). There is a pretty small number of pros for this race so the pro meeting was pretty relaxed and they handed us our packets there by calling out our names. We only get slightly different treatment because our rules can be a bit different. I enjoy having the age groupers at our races. I don't think any pros have too big of egos where they think they own the race because they are pro...for those that do feel that way all the other pros usually don't take them very seriously. I love the interaction with age groupers, and it is because they love the sport that there is even a possibility of us making it a career.

I had a crab roll post race...it was delicious. Would have to think about cringiest thing...

100 chickens is pretty terrifying, but a 100 sized chicken is a dinosaur...
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Re: Escape From Alcatraz Ask Me Anything [BenKanute] [ In reply to ]
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Did you have any close calls passing people coming the other way on the run? I ask because I nearly had a heart attack because I entered that concrete culvert a few years back to find Andy Potts, in the lead, coming at me through that narrow thing. I had a minor fear of crashing into him and ruining his race somehow.
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Re: Escape From Alcatraz Ask Me Anything [daswafford] [ In reply to ]
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daswafford wrote:
Hi Ben! Great race!

On the run, how did you pace it? All out the entire time? Hold back a few miles then let loose?

Thanks! I tried to keep the pace pretty honest the whole time. I have a stryd power file that tells the story a little better, but I was running stronger towards the end.
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Re: Escape From Alcatraz Ask Me Anything [JustinPB] [ In reply to ]
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JustinPB wrote:
Did you have any close calls passing people coming the other way on the run? I ask because I nearly had a heart attack because I entered that concrete culvert a few years back to find Andy Potts, in the lead, coming at me through that narrow thing. I had a minor fear of crashing into him and ruining his race somehow.

Not this year! It was pretty spread out. I do remember last year having some close calls. I made sure to be aware of it this year just in case.
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Re: Escape From Alcatraz Ask Me Anything [SLOgoing] [ In reply to ]
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SLOgoing wrote:
Did the high winds affect the bike much?

It is always a factor at Alcatraz. Some of the corners and descents can get pretty sketchy. I made sure to keep things under control and be aware of where the wind was coming from and where it might gust.
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Re: Escape From Alcatraz Ask Me Anything [BenKanute] [ In reply to ]
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Ben - It looks like you would have set the course record for the bike.
(I assume it doesn't count without the swim).

Do you feel like the course suited you?
What might you have done differently in your preparation that made you faster here than other Pros (who have raced this course)?
How does this bike compare with St George?
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Re: Escape From Alcatraz Ask Me Anything [BenKanute] [ In reply to ]
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I asked this in the other thread about the race. What wheels did you use for the event? Any particular reason why so many pros it seemed did not use a rear disc in this event? Or do they just don't race with discs period? Congrats on the win and look forward to Philly in a couple weeks.
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Re: Escape From Alcatraz Ask Me Anything [BenKanute] [ In reply to ]
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Staying with the Alcatraz theme: have you seen any evidence of Anglin brothers and Frank Morris? The home made raft? The paddles? Anything? Thanks.

-warden
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Re: Escape From Alcatraz Ask Me Anything [Velocibuddha] [ In reply to ]
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Velocibuddha wrote:
Ben - It looks like you would have set the course record for the bike.
(I assume it doesn't count without the swim).

Do you feel like the course suited you?
What might you have done differently in your preparation that made you faster here than other Pros (who have raced this course)?
How does this bike compare with St George?

I am not sure if they would count it or if they keep track of the bike course record since the course has changed so much over the years, but still kind of cool to see.

I think Alcatraz suits me all around. It is a strength course that is pretty punchy at the same time. I think my mix of ITU and 70.3 created the perfect mix for this race.

I have just been training hard. I think more of a focus on time trailing helped. I have had some really solid and focused training, and I know that prepared me well. I am not sure how others prepared, but my mix of halves and ITU training had to have helped.

This bike course is kind of similar to st. George. Lots of elevation gain and it requires a bunch of strength. I think it is fair to call it the short course (only 17.8 miles...) version of it.
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Re: Escape From Alcatraz Ask Me Anything [gphin305] [ In reply to ]
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gphin305 wrote:
I asked this in the other thread about the race. What wheels did you use for the event? Any particular reason why so many pros it seemed did not use a rear disc in this event? Or do they just don't race with discs period? Congrats on the win and look forward to Philly in a couple weeks.

I used a 7.0 bontrager tubular wheel up front and a bontrager tubular disc in the back. I think a lot stray away from the disc because of the climbs and the cross winds on the course. In my opinion, and I think there is data to prove it (although I don't have any sources), the disc is always faster except in extreme circumstances. I feel the depth of the front wheel is more of a factor in cross winds than the rear.
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Re: Escape From Alcatraz Ask Me Anything [BenKanute] [ In reply to ]
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Congrats on your win in a historical race. Are you racing the 70.3 WC? What will it take to get a podium? Given your excellent swim at St George do you think you can push Alistair more on the bike and run later in the season?
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Re: Escape From Alcatraz Ask Me Anything [BenKanute] [ In reply to ]
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Hi, congrats for st George and for the victory in EA. How was your approach in training for alcatraz(because os the hills)? Have you done any different set?? Do you use the stryd in training(intervals based in watts)??
Thank you and congratulations again
PS- what're your next races ?
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Re: Escape From Alcatraz Ask Me Anything [BenKanute] [ In reply to ]
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Does your L/R percentages usually have that much of a split or was it just due to the course layout there?
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Re: Escape From Alcatraz Ask Me Anything [BenKanute] [ In reply to ]
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Ben, congrats on the win and the St. George performance. A force to be reckoned with for sure! Looking forward to following your future results! I am curious about what you think about prior to racing, and what was in your mind as you destroyed the bike course, and then blazed the run. What keeps you going to push so hard through the distance? Thanks.
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Re: Escape From Alcatraz Ask Me Anything [Rommelreno] [ In reply to ]
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Rommelreno wrote:
Hi, congrats for st George and for the victory in EA. How was your approach in training for alcatraz(because os the hills)? Have you done any different set?? Do you use the stryd in training(intervals based in watts)??
Thank you and congratulations again
PS- what're your next races ?

These are great questions, and I will give you a few answers...

Approach to Alcatraz?
We didn't really train hills specifically, we simply looked at the calendar and determined the training phase based on the key races, and tweaked it in a way we felt was still going to allow him to be successful at Alcatraz, and not sacrifice the long term goals at the end of the season. Ben is such a strong cyclist, (and even stronger this year than he has ever been), that hills don't really matter. He's based in Tucson most of the year, so he gets plenty of climbing, not something we felt needed to be specifically addressed. In fact, it would appear his bike time is a course record for Alcatraz, but that's still unconfirmed, as I haven't see all the years quite yet. But even the uber-bikers of the past, like Craig Walton, haven't ridden the time he did there. (Yes, I know there was no swim, but still impressive!)

Different sets?
Nothing different in prep for Alcatraz, really. But I will let Ben share a set if he wants, that he feels is worth sharing and what was different about it.

Stryd in Training?
Probably the best thing about using the Stryd has been when he has done running intervals in very windy conditions, like his time home in Chicago in the build up to Alcatraz. There have been intervals where he maybe didn't run the time he wanted, but the Stryd Power Meter showed him the effort was consistent with faster times, or in some cases even better! That's all he needed to know, and felt he accomplished the goal, and be excited about the training.

We have at times prescribed watts for the run workout. It was in the build up to St George, where I knew he was a little tired. I set a tempo intervals run workout for him, where he had to run at the watts from Puerto Rico 70.3. The pace wasn't stellar, but the watts were spot on. If he judged the tempo workout based on pace, it probably affects his confidence, as he was carrying too much fatigue. And of course, the watts probably kept us from over-doing the training session, not pushing too hard, just doing what needed to be done specifically to prep for St George, based on run watts. He went on to race very well there, with slightly higher race watts on the run. We will be doing this more and more in our build up to 70.3 Worlds, Rotterdam, and the whole busy race schedule he will have late in the year.

Hope this helps!

Jim Vance
http://TodaysPlan.com.au (Disclosure: I am contracted with Today's Plan)
http://www.CoachVance.com/
Twitter @jimvance
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Re: Escape From Alcatraz Ask Me Anything [BenKanute] [ In reply to ]
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BenKanute wrote:
dhr wrote:
Based on my extensive research, Alcatraz hasn't been an active penitentiary since 1963. What exactly were you escaping from?


Mediocrity

Also based on extensive research, I believe this is only accomplished by winning Kona. And even then, the effect wears off after a year or two.

P.S. Good race.
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Re: Escape From Alcatraz Ask Me Anything [BenKanute] [ In reply to ]
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Awesome race Ben and thanks for coming here for another AMA. When I saw the picture of you passing Cameron Dye on the bike I was like "holy cow you don't see that very often!"

First question: what tires are you running and why did you choose to go with tubulars? Do you always race on tubulars?

Second question: have you gone to a wind tunnel to refine you positio and equipment choices on on the bike? Have you tested the Bontrager TT helmet against others?

Third question: what percentage of your training do you do on your TT bike and what percentage of your training do you do outdoors vs indoors?

Thanks and congrats!
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Re: Escape From Alcatraz Ask Me Anything [BenKanute] [ In reply to ]
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Congrats on a great race Ben!

I was out there on Sunday, it was my first time doing Alcatraz. On your bike file I noticed you were able to keep a 1.07 VI, how did you manage to keep your avg power that high in relation to your NP? I ask because some of those downhills were quite long w gnarly turns amidst high winds (!). Were you hammering on those down hill sections?

Thanks!

AV8 | Team Wattie Ink Elite 2019
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Re: Escape From Alcatraz Ask Me Anything [BenKanute] [ In reply to ]
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Sorry if slightly off topic....but based on the pic on the slowtwitch front page, it looks like you are using the Bontrager Aero helmet. I thought those were specifically -not- approved for use in North America??
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Re: Escape From Alcatraz Ask Me Anything [newManUK] [ In reply to ]
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newManUK wrote:
Congrats on your win in a historical race. Are you racing the 70.3 WC? What will it take to get a podium? Given your excellent swim at St George do you think you can push Alistair more on the bike and run later in the season?

Thank You! If I am invited to the 70.3 WC I am planning on it. I am waiting for my spot as they roll down.

It is going to take a huge effort. I believe I am getting stronger as the year goes on, but I will need to have an outstanding race. Alistair is a phenomenal athlete. Even with my best race it will be hard to push him
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Re: Escape From Alcatraz Ask Me Anything [afulgenzi17] [ In reply to ]
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afulgenzi17 wrote:
Does your L/R percentages usually have that much of a split or was it just due to the course layout there?

It is probably a bit of both. I think my split is usually about that. I do not pay much attention to the L/R split. I may be on the larger end, but I have not had any of my coaches approach me about it with concern.
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Re: Escape From Alcatraz Ask Me Anything [Rommelreno] [ In reply to ]
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Rommelreno wrote:
Hi, congrats for st George and for the victory in EA. How was your approach in training for alcatraz(because os the hills)? Have you done any different set?? Do you use the stryd in training(intervals based in watts)??
Thank you and congratulations again
PS- what're your next races ?

Mostly I train my power based on time. I do 5, 8, 10, 15, 20 and 30 min intervals all multiple times...sometimes combining those intervals and the different intensities (a lot of times I hold or try and push what I can sustain for the given amount of time). I think when it comes down to it, watts are watts. I have done some hills, but not so many that I can fairly say we upped hill training for these races.

Stryd is something we are working on phasing in. Jim is very knowledgeable on it, but we are experimenting with what works best for me.

My next race is escape series Philly and then a few WTS races in Hamburg, Edmonton, and Montreal.
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Re: Escape From Alcatraz Ask Me Anything [Donbrowski] [ In reply to ]
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Donbrowski wrote:
Ben, congrats on the win and the St. George performance. A force to be reckoned with for sure! Looking forward to following your future results! I am curious about what you think about prior to racing, and what was in your mind as you destroyed the bike course, and then blazed the run. What keeps you going to push so hard through the distance? Thanks.

Thank you! I try to keep myself relaxed and calm before the race. Right before, I can get pretty excited, and this helps, but I try not to do that until the start gets closer. Mostly I am thinking about the task at hand. I ask myself a lot if I can push a bit hard. Just tighten the screws a bit so I can get just a little bit more speed out of myself.

In this race I think I did a good job at looking at everything objectively. I used any positives for fuel myself to go faster, and any negatives that happened were just notes and I Sid not register them emotionally.
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Re: Escape From Alcatraz Ask Me Anything [GreenPlease] [ In reply to ]
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GreenPlease wrote:
Awesome race Ben and thanks for coming here for another AMA. When I saw the picture of you passing Cameron Dye on the bike I was like "holy cow you don't see that very often!"

First question: what tires are you running and why did you choose to go with tubulars? Do you always race on tubulars?

Second question: have you gone to a wind tunnel to refine you positio and equipment choices on on the bike? Have you tested the Bontrager TT helmet against others?

Third question: what percentage of your training do you do on your TT bike and what percentage of your training do you do outdoors vs indoors?

Thanks and congrats!

1. I am riding a set of bontrager tubulars. No particular reason why I am running tubulars on the tt bike. I use clinchers on my road bike. I think there are pros and cons to both and I usually rely on my trek rep for info on this because they know the equipment intimately.

2.i have not gone to a wind tunnel yet. I have been analyzed by Paraic at cyclologic and he helped me a lot with my fit.

3. It all depends on the next race. I spend a lot of time on my tt bike before a 70.3 and my non draft stuff. I would say it's about 50/50 for the season so far. I do everything outside. I understand the trainer is good for focused work, and I have done a lot of riding on the trainer in the past. I just love to be outdoors and to ride my bike on the roads. I always choose that first over the trainer.
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Re: Escape From Alcatraz Ask Me Anything [N2176T] [ In reply to ]
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N2176T wrote:
Congrats on a great race Ben!

I was out there on Sunday, it was my first time doing Alcatraz. On your bike file I noticed you were able to keep a 1.07 VI, how did you manage to keep your avg power that high in relation to your NP? I ask because some of those downhills were quite long w gnarly turns amidst high winds (!). Were you hammering on those down hill sections?

Thanks!

I tried to keep it relatively in control on the uphills, so that limited the high end of the spectrum. You can pedal through a lot on this course. There are definitely some some hills that you can't and corners you have yo navigate, but if my legs can pedal I always try to keep them moving. I also think my technical skills are an advantage on this course and I tried to use that as much as I could.
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Re: Escape From Alcatraz Ask Me Anything [BenKanute] [ In reply to ]
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Just wanted to let you know that I sent you a PM if you haven't seen it. I'm sure your super busy but if you could get back to me whenever you get that chance that'd be awesome; thanks.
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Re: Escape From Alcatraz Ask Me Anything [BenKanute] [ In reply to ]
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Aside from the bike course not being multiple laps, how does it compare to most ITU circuit courses in regards to climbing, descending, technical handling, etc.? Is this a hilly course for you? I ask because I saw that a handful of the pros held 24+ on the course, which leads to think that in terms of climbing and skill, it wasn't drastically difficult for someone like you or Cam. Did you try to hold steady power on the bike or blitz the hills and recover on the descents? Finally, did the cancelled swim change your tactics on the bike and/or run?

Great race and congrats again!
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Re: Escape From Alcatraz Ask Me Anything [BenKanute] [ In reply to ]
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You are the ideal candidate for the 2nd slot in a mixed relay. Let's pretend you are on the 2020 team. Will you train specifically for THAT event?

Wait - a better way to ask this: had they're been a mixed relay in 2016, would you have specifically geared your training in the lead up for that event?

Nice race. AMA for winning a duathlon and no one calls you out? Baller.
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Re: Escape From Alcatraz Ask Me Anything [ajthomas] [ In reply to ]
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Congratulations on your win.

"If it costs you 30 minutes at Maryland so what" -dwreal
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Re: Escape From Alcatraz Ask Me Anything [BenKanute] [ In reply to ]
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What sort of things do you do for injury prevention when you're not logging hours on TP? I.E Foam rolling, stretching, sweat lodges with Mark Allen?
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Re: Escape From Alcatraz Ask Me Anything [BenKanute] [ In reply to ]
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For the aspiring athletes out here, what was it like in your first year or two as a pro? Did you struggle financially? Did you battle between overtraining and recovery often? Did you find yourself isolated / missing your non-tri friends (I think you went pro super early on?) What tips would you suggest for someone trying to make their way into the pro field? Thanks!
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Re: Escape From Alcatraz Ask Me Anything [SBRcoffee] [ In reply to ]
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SBRcoffee wrote:
Sorry if slightly off topic....but based on the pic on the slowtwitch front page, it looks like you are using the Bontrager Aero helmet. I thought those were specifically -not- approved for use in North America??

Pros are allowed to use other certified helmets (I forget the exact name of the stickers besides the one required by USAT) if we sign a waiver.
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Re: Escape From Alcatraz Ask Me Anything [onceatriathlet3] [ In reply to ]
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onceatriathlet3 wrote:
Aside from the bike course not being multiple laps, how does it compare to most ITU circuit courses in regards to climbing, descending, technical handling, etc.? Is this a hilly course for you? I ask because I saw that a handful of the pros held 24+ on the course, which leads to think that in terms of climbing and skill, it wasn't drastically difficult for someone like you or Cam. Did you try to hold steady power on the bike or blitz the hills and recover on the descents? Finally, did the cancelled swim change your tactics on the bike and/or run?

Great race and congrats again!

Thanks! It is definitely a challenging course. There are some similar ITU courses, but not as many as the Escape course. It was very up and down, and while a big hill may feature in an ITU race, there is usually a section that is relatively flat on a looped course. I think the length of the course has a lot to do with the high speeds. The hills are about 3-5 min and there are some significantly fast down hills that also help keep the speed up.

I tried to hold a steady pace. The hills were a bit higher, but overall I tried to keep my power close to the hills on the downhill.

The swim changed my plan a bit, but not much.. The plan was always to try to create separation on the bike and follow it up with a strong run.
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Re: Escape From Alcatraz Ask Me Anything [ajthomas] [ In reply to ]
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ajthomas wrote:

You are the ideal candidate for the 2nd slot in a mixed relay. Let's pretend you are on the 2020 team. Will you train specifically for THAT event?

Wait - a better way to ask this: had they're been a mixed relay in 2016, would you have specifically geared your training in the lead up for that event?

Nice race. AMA for winning a duathlon and no one calls you out? Baller.

It would be hard not to. I would obviously like to be successful in the individual and team event, but the best medal chance for US males right now would be in the team relay. Medals trump just about everything and play a huge role in the decision process.
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Re: Escape From Alcatraz Ask Me Anything [ttreise] [ In reply to ]
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ttreise wrote:
What sort of things do you do for injury prevention when you're not logging hours on TP? I.E Foam rolling, stretching, sweat lodges with Mark Allen?

On my own I stretch and roll. I also have a great Physical Therapist in Tucson at Applied Physical Medicine, and a great massage therapist at Legendary Massage. I try to have appointments with these two as much as possible to keep my body healthy, and I have found that it works really well for me.
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Re: Escape From Alcatraz Ask Me Anything [BenKanute] [ In reply to ]
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BenKanute wrote:
dhr wrote:
Based on my extensive research, Alcatraz hasn't been an active penitentiary since 1963. What exactly were you escaping from?


Mediocrity

FTW!

While I'd heard of you through the Training Bible podcast and other places, the first time I was aware of you as a pro was Kitzbuhel. You really hung with the big boys on that ridiculous climb! Leeds seems like an ideal course for your strengths. Obviously there are factors with race calendar, avoiding excessive travel, not over-racing, etc., but is there a part of you that wishes you'd done it this year?

I guess it boils down to: could you have made it up that hill with the lead group of four and could you have stayed with the Brownlees when they dropped the French guys? I assume you would have been up there on the swim. Could the bronze have been yours?

Probably an obnoxious question with too many variables, but curious to hear your thoughts.

Aaron Bales
Lansing Triathlon Team
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