Okay so it's a bit long... so sue me... but I write 'em how i like to read 'em... IN DEPTH. I think it is kinda fun to gain the insight of a fellow athlete... so have at it... and critique all you want... hell rip me a new one if you want. Enjoy.
The Ralph’s Report
Well here we are post race… and let’s just get right to it by saying what an ugly race it was. Even though this race was being hosted at the southern end of the left coast, the weather gave one the impression that this race was being contested on the northern end… Seattle. Yeah, you got that right… wet and cold. Needless to say that it was a trial in more ways than three for everyone involved, including spectators last Saturday. Friday had gone well with a smooth warm up and then a bit of fun as I met up with some fellow Slowtwitcher’s in the athlete’s village before chilling for the remainder of the day. Around 4pm is when the rain started to fall and by bed time we knew that we were going to be in for a good one the following day. I had prepared myself for this and was fully gunning for a wet and cold and rainy day and was relishing the opportunity to compete in such conditions… “BRING IT ON!!!” was my mental modus operandi for the evening. Saturday morning brought with it the same. Wet, cold, occasional drizzle and wind. None the less I was still fired up as I was determined that if I have to deal with this and meet it head on then I will only be better off than those that cower at the sight of inclement weather. Because of the conditions my normal warm up consisted of a high cadence/low gear/low speed spin down N. Pacific St. for a few miles and back. Hardly warm up, but I still felt rarin’ to go. I was fortunate enough to have been seeded into the first wave of age groupers to leave after the pro women (7min back) and therefore had a bit more time to get in and get my arms moving. “Man the water was cold.” Thanks to Herbert I was able to keep warm with my QR hoodie. That thing really comes in handy in the cold harbor. WANH!!! The horn sounds and we are off. I swam hard for the first two minutes or so in an attempt to loose any would be drafters. Looking back after this I was more than surprised to find that I had one such person still hanging on. After a slight acceleration and some kicking, along with some slight tacking the would be groupie was dropped, for now at least. The remainder of the swim went well. With no traffic to move through I was able to easily navigate the buoys and deal with the swells with no problems. I have to admit that I could tell that my lack of a structured swim practice, with sets and speed and tempo work, was definitely evident while I was out there. Having just done mind numbing 4000 strait swims since Kona I could tell that when I settled into my race pace that it was not as fast as I know I am capable of but was still very comfortable none the less thanks a lot in part to the QR Superfull suit. Every time I wear that piece of art I fall in love with the flexibility that I am given by way of the ribbed 1.5mm shoulders… ahhhh unencumbered freedom of movement J. Came out of the swim relaxed and ready to rock. Storming through T1 I ran through my head all things I would need to do once I arrived at my bike as this would be my first wet and cold race that I had participated in. Without too much trouble I was able go through the motions, including deciding not to put my arm warmers on (too wet), a decision that I did not regret later as my TYR long course singlet and shorts would provide all the coverage that I would need for the day. As I exited T1 and put my foot on my already mounted and wet shoe to saddle up, it slid off and I face planted into the ground… “yeah… great” (*sarcasm*). Hoped up, jumped on, and took off. Complete with bloody leg and arm. No big deal though… the rain and mist cleaned that up in no time. Made my way through the early stages of the bike and was pleased to find that I seemed to making good progress with a low heart rate of 140-145. At the time I thought that low but looking back I believe that the cold temps contributed to those numbers. Also, I was quite comfortable (too comfortable) at that level and never felt stressed at all on the bike, but at the same time whenever I did make an effort to try to up it to that next gear it was like I had no next gear to tap. Seemingly flat. I can only assume that this is a result of my coming into the race on 4 months of base training and not much speed or tempo work to speak of. I also think that I probably should utilize a blend of watts and heart rate in my upcoming races as a better indicator to go by for racing. The ride was not as pleasant as the previous year as the wet and cold really dampened any true fun to be had out there but never the less I enjoyed the ride thanks in large part to the my QR TiPhoon, which handled superbly and was more than comfortable throughout. It was an interesting experience in the early stages of the bike to be blowing by pro women (only to see them once again at mile 11 of the run or so J) as they seemed to be greatly more affected by the weather than myself, and when passing some of them I took pity as they appeared to be suffering quite a bit in the mist and chill. As we left the flats and turned east into the hills and wind I continued along in my zone never really struggling too much. As we hit the four climbs that happen from mile 30 to 42 I successfully rode up each one using a combination of staying seated and riding out of the saddle all the while keeping my HR beneath 152 or so, and as I think about it I don’t even think that I could have pushed it beyond that number. It really just didn’t seem like there was anything else above that mark. It was as if I were an automobile perpetually stuck in 4th gear. Over the final climb and I screamed back to T2 in the flats section with the wind at my back. By this time I had acquired a riding partner whom I kept till the end of the bike. Nutritionally everything went great as this was my first time to race using Carbo Pro and deciding to pass on the protein. I liked the results and will likely follow a similar pattern in the future. I had a small run in with some light cramping around miles 25-35 and at first it was difficult to determine what it was that I needed to balance things out with but as luck would have it we had entered a dry spell and I looked down at my shorts only to find salt encrusted all over them… not something one would expect on a cold day like this. After slamming my water and taking another at mile 28 the cramping slowly subsided and never really returned till the run. Looking back at the bike I think the one thing that I really messed up in doing was riding with too low a cadence. I have been training a LOT in the big gear in an effort to up my power and strength and this low turnover has really become a comfort zone for me when I go out and ride. This increase in strength is evidenced by the fact that when I started with my coach Steve Fluet at ESTS in July one of the first things we did was a CP30 on the compu trainer, the result, 265. I again performed this test in mid February on base training alone and came back with a 315. So obviously this training is doing something for me but when it comes to race day I really need to focus on getting my RPM’s up to around 75-80 so that I am not toast for the run. I would have to say that my average cadence for the bike was probably close to 60-65. Yeah… not good.
Okay so out onto the run… As I started I kind of felt slow but figured that I would soon push through this and be on my way. This obviously never happened as just like the bike I just felt as though I was stuck in a low gear the whole time. My body just seemed set on 7 min mile pace, mile after mile… well wouldn’tcha know… that’s my long run training pace. I just could not go any faster and yet my HR was only in the mid to upper 140’s. Heck that “should” give me another 20 bpm to work with but obviously with the lack of speed and tempo that was not the case. I also felt as though I really had to work for each step. This is most likely due to the low cadence that I performed on the bike and thus my form was trash from the very beginning. I tried to work on mid foot striking but could only manage heel striking and with the surface of the majority of the run being on concrete this really spelled doom as the miles ticked off and my feet and quads and legs just took more and more of the pounding. Again my nutrition went well as I was able to easily take in my 300 cals of carbo pro with out any problem what so ever. The only issue I ran into was when I thought that I might take some Gatorade in at mile 6 “WRONG!” Not two minutes later my stomach and I were having a good discussion, it wanting to unload and me just wanting to keep it where it was. I fought this till mile 9 or 10 and at this point just wanted to finish and really did not care about nutrition or pacing and was just trying to get across the line. Strode through the finish and very gingerly made my way to the massage and food tents. Picked up my first mylar blanket ever (those things really work) and promptly threw down 4 pieces of Hawai’ian pizza, as my endurox was the last thing I wanted at this point. Got my massage and huddled in the tent as a few ferocious showers moved through and then as the sun broke I made my way back to the hotel for clean up. By this time the day had turned sunny and beautiful and it was as if Mother Nature was simply thumbing her nose at all of us. Back down for the awards ceremony (to watch) and chat with some friends. Seventh in the AG was not what I had in mind when I traveled out there but in the days since I have to come to realize that I am preparing myself for IMCDA and that I simply did not have the speed work behind me to tackle this race at my peak. That said I look forward to working with my coach on my preparation for that race and securing a return slot to Kona there. Afterwards my two buddies that I had traveled out there with and I stopped off at the Harbor Village for a couple of bottles of wine and dinner before crashing early for a good and well deserved nights rest.
Thanks to Herbert at QR wetsuits and bikes for the constant support and the Superfull and TiPhoon as well as Wendy and Ryan at TYR clothing and Ron Perry at Echo Performance massage for keeping me in the best form possible after my really ugly weeks.
Thanks for reading
36 kona qualifiers 2006-'23 - 3 Kona Podiums - 4 OA IM AG wins - 5 IM AG wins - 18 70.3 AG wins
I ka nana no a 'ike -- by observing, one learns | Kulia i ka nu'u -- strive for excellence
Garmin Glycogen Use App | Garmin Fat Use App
The Ralph’s Report
Well here we are post race… and let’s just get right to it by saying what an ugly race it was. Even though this race was being hosted at the southern end of the left coast, the weather gave one the impression that this race was being contested on the northern end… Seattle. Yeah, you got that right… wet and cold. Needless to say that it was a trial in more ways than three for everyone involved, including spectators last Saturday. Friday had gone well with a smooth warm up and then a bit of fun as I met up with some fellow Slowtwitcher’s in the athlete’s village before chilling for the remainder of the day. Around 4pm is when the rain started to fall and by bed time we knew that we were going to be in for a good one the following day. I had prepared myself for this and was fully gunning for a wet and cold and rainy day and was relishing the opportunity to compete in such conditions… “BRING IT ON!!!” was my mental modus operandi for the evening. Saturday morning brought with it the same. Wet, cold, occasional drizzle and wind. None the less I was still fired up as I was determined that if I have to deal with this and meet it head on then I will only be better off than those that cower at the sight of inclement weather. Because of the conditions my normal warm up consisted of a high cadence/low gear/low speed spin down N. Pacific St. for a few miles and back. Hardly warm up, but I still felt rarin’ to go. I was fortunate enough to have been seeded into the first wave of age groupers to leave after the pro women (7min back) and therefore had a bit more time to get in and get my arms moving. “Man the water was cold.” Thanks to Herbert I was able to keep warm with my QR hoodie. That thing really comes in handy in the cold harbor. WANH!!! The horn sounds and we are off. I swam hard for the first two minutes or so in an attempt to loose any would be drafters. Looking back after this I was more than surprised to find that I had one such person still hanging on. After a slight acceleration and some kicking, along with some slight tacking the would be groupie was dropped, for now at least. The remainder of the swim went well. With no traffic to move through I was able to easily navigate the buoys and deal with the swells with no problems. I have to admit that I could tell that my lack of a structured swim practice, with sets and speed and tempo work, was definitely evident while I was out there. Having just done mind numbing 4000 strait swims since Kona I could tell that when I settled into my race pace that it was not as fast as I know I am capable of but was still very comfortable none the less thanks a lot in part to the QR Superfull suit. Every time I wear that piece of art I fall in love with the flexibility that I am given by way of the ribbed 1.5mm shoulders… ahhhh unencumbered freedom of movement J. Came out of the swim relaxed and ready to rock. Storming through T1 I ran through my head all things I would need to do once I arrived at my bike as this would be my first wet and cold race that I had participated in. Without too much trouble I was able go through the motions, including deciding not to put my arm warmers on (too wet), a decision that I did not regret later as my TYR long course singlet and shorts would provide all the coverage that I would need for the day. As I exited T1 and put my foot on my already mounted and wet shoe to saddle up, it slid off and I face planted into the ground… “yeah… great” (*sarcasm*). Hoped up, jumped on, and took off. Complete with bloody leg and arm. No big deal though… the rain and mist cleaned that up in no time. Made my way through the early stages of the bike and was pleased to find that I seemed to making good progress with a low heart rate of 140-145. At the time I thought that low but looking back I believe that the cold temps contributed to those numbers. Also, I was quite comfortable (too comfortable) at that level and never felt stressed at all on the bike, but at the same time whenever I did make an effort to try to up it to that next gear it was like I had no next gear to tap. Seemingly flat. I can only assume that this is a result of my coming into the race on 4 months of base training and not much speed or tempo work to speak of. I also think that I probably should utilize a blend of watts and heart rate in my upcoming races as a better indicator to go by for racing. The ride was not as pleasant as the previous year as the wet and cold really dampened any true fun to be had out there but never the less I enjoyed the ride thanks in large part to the my QR TiPhoon, which handled superbly and was more than comfortable throughout. It was an interesting experience in the early stages of the bike to be blowing by pro women (only to see them once again at mile 11 of the run or so J) as they seemed to be greatly more affected by the weather than myself, and when passing some of them I took pity as they appeared to be suffering quite a bit in the mist and chill. As we left the flats and turned east into the hills and wind I continued along in my zone never really struggling too much. As we hit the four climbs that happen from mile 30 to 42 I successfully rode up each one using a combination of staying seated and riding out of the saddle all the while keeping my HR beneath 152 or so, and as I think about it I don’t even think that I could have pushed it beyond that number. It really just didn’t seem like there was anything else above that mark. It was as if I were an automobile perpetually stuck in 4th gear. Over the final climb and I screamed back to T2 in the flats section with the wind at my back. By this time I had acquired a riding partner whom I kept till the end of the bike. Nutritionally everything went great as this was my first time to race using Carbo Pro and deciding to pass on the protein. I liked the results and will likely follow a similar pattern in the future. I had a small run in with some light cramping around miles 25-35 and at first it was difficult to determine what it was that I needed to balance things out with but as luck would have it we had entered a dry spell and I looked down at my shorts only to find salt encrusted all over them… not something one would expect on a cold day like this. After slamming my water and taking another at mile 28 the cramping slowly subsided and never really returned till the run. Looking back at the bike I think the one thing that I really messed up in doing was riding with too low a cadence. I have been training a LOT in the big gear in an effort to up my power and strength and this low turnover has really become a comfort zone for me when I go out and ride. This increase in strength is evidenced by the fact that when I started with my coach Steve Fluet at ESTS in July one of the first things we did was a CP30 on the compu trainer, the result, 265. I again performed this test in mid February on base training alone and came back with a 315. So obviously this training is doing something for me but when it comes to race day I really need to focus on getting my RPM’s up to around 75-80 so that I am not toast for the run. I would have to say that my average cadence for the bike was probably close to 60-65. Yeah… not good.
Okay so out onto the run… As I started I kind of felt slow but figured that I would soon push through this and be on my way. This obviously never happened as just like the bike I just felt as though I was stuck in a low gear the whole time. My body just seemed set on 7 min mile pace, mile after mile… well wouldn’tcha know… that’s my long run training pace. I just could not go any faster and yet my HR was only in the mid to upper 140’s. Heck that “should” give me another 20 bpm to work with but obviously with the lack of speed and tempo that was not the case. I also felt as though I really had to work for each step. This is most likely due to the low cadence that I performed on the bike and thus my form was trash from the very beginning. I tried to work on mid foot striking but could only manage heel striking and with the surface of the majority of the run being on concrete this really spelled doom as the miles ticked off and my feet and quads and legs just took more and more of the pounding. Again my nutrition went well as I was able to easily take in my 300 cals of carbo pro with out any problem what so ever. The only issue I ran into was when I thought that I might take some Gatorade in at mile 6 “WRONG!” Not two minutes later my stomach and I were having a good discussion, it wanting to unload and me just wanting to keep it where it was. I fought this till mile 9 or 10 and at this point just wanted to finish and really did not care about nutrition or pacing and was just trying to get across the line. Strode through the finish and very gingerly made my way to the massage and food tents. Picked up my first mylar blanket ever (those things really work) and promptly threw down 4 pieces of Hawai’ian pizza, as my endurox was the last thing I wanted at this point. Got my massage and huddled in the tent as a few ferocious showers moved through and then as the sun broke I made my way back to the hotel for clean up. By this time the day had turned sunny and beautiful and it was as if Mother Nature was simply thumbing her nose at all of us. Back down for the awards ceremony (to watch) and chat with some friends. Seventh in the AG was not what I had in mind when I traveled out there but in the days since I have to come to realize that I am preparing myself for IMCDA and that I simply did not have the speed work behind me to tackle this race at my peak. That said I look forward to working with my coach on my preparation for that race and securing a return slot to Kona there. Afterwards my two buddies that I had traveled out there with and I stopped off at the Harbor Village for a couple of bottles of wine and dinner before crashing early for a good and well deserved nights rest.
Thanks to Herbert at QR wetsuits and bikes for the constant support and the Superfull and TiPhoon as well as Wendy and Ryan at TYR clothing and Ron Perry at Echo Performance massage for keeping me in the best form possible after my really ugly weeks.
Thanks for reading
36 kona qualifiers 2006-'23 - 3 Kona Podiums - 4 OA IM AG wins - 5 IM AG wins - 18 70.3 AG wins
I ka nana no a 'ike -- by observing, one learns | Kulia i ka nu'u -- strive for excellence
Garmin Glycogen Use App | Garmin Fat Use App