Hi Thomas

Swim: Last year, I was in the front pack for over half of the swim, this year I was there for about 500 yds then got popped off and slowly caught a few other guys who got popped off later in the swim and made a group of 3 guys. I think this swim was a stronger swim than last year for me since I did more a lone, but the execution was worse. I went out too fast for the first 400 yards and got tight and lost the pack early. Can't do much open water swim training in Iowa during the winter. Last year, we did our spring camp in Kona so we were able to swim OWS every day. This year we didn't have that option in Tucson. I'll swim open water a couple times a week once the lake warms up. Yes, we have a plan to address the swim.

Bike- Much stronger bike for me this year as well. I worked as hard as the race plan allowed for the first 75 minutes of the ride to bridge the 3 minutes I was down out of the water. (First 75 min was over 15w harder than last year's effort to bridge). I caught the group then moved to the front right away to make sure that everyone was there and no one had got away. Yes, the plan was to bridge hard if I didn't swim first pack. I tried to back off the pace a few times, but the group seemed keen to let me to a majority of the work and I wanted to minimize the losses to Andrew. I thought Andrew could go 7:50 with the perfect weather we were having, so I didn't want to just sit back and wait. I put in a number of hard surges (harder than what got me away from the group last year) but was never able to get away. Matt Russel was the only other rider who put in a real attack around mile 80.

I had nothing left to give on the run. There were many dark moments on the last lap. I have never felt this rough the day after a race...I feel like I usually do 3 days after a race, which doesn't make me look forward to the next two days. I'm hoping to recover in time to race Chatty 70.3 in 3 weeks. Will see...

Obviously, all of the pros were talking about this at the awards banquet today. The common theme that I gathered was the sense that we all turned ourselves inside out on the day only to seemingly have our performances immediately belittled by so many who weren't there. The bike was 177km. They had the permits for a 180km course, but that would have required a u-turn on the flyover, which if someone would have missed it would have been catastrophic. This was the same course as last year, I assumed they got the permits for all years under their contract at once to avoid the issue they had in 2016 but did not verify this. The marathon course was certified twice on friday. I think Scott said the first reading was spot on and the second was 100 yards long. Take a quick look at the "how short is IMTX thread" to get an understanding of some of the frustrations. The reports start at 5 miles short, then the report jumps to 8 miles short. And of course there was no way the run was legit...

Of course I think this is just fine for the NA Champoinship for the pros...but I've won it 3x now so probably a bit bias. It comes down to what do you want from a regional championship? Ocean swims in choppy water will favor swimmers, courses with huge climbs and wicked descents would favor cyclists, courses like Texas will lead to fast times...but does that mean they aren't good for a championship race? We currently have 5 very different course profiles for regional championships. Pros will chose the best course that suits their strengths. Why is that a bad thing? Look at how many different countries were represented on the start list for both SA and NA. If you were only allowed to race in your country's regional championship, I could possibly see an argument. But since we have the ability to choose the races that suit our strengths and schedules, I think it is actually better for the sport. I have always said the sport needs the best people putting it on the line to keep the popularity of the pro field. Without exciting races, the pros field in the sport will die. We need that for our careers to survive. I think the current situation with such different course profiles actually increases the competition for each race...at least at the front end of them. Yes, it would be great if there was more of a gap between the men start and the women start...and an even larger gap between the pro women and the AGers. That is a tough balance with the rolling start now and only having permits through midnight. But the same problem exists in Kona.

I am admittedly out of touch with what the NA championship means for age groupers. More Kona slots, but also more athletes racing, so don't really see a difference. But I don't know enough about it to make an informed opinion on this one. I will say that there are going to be issues breaking the groups up on any course with this many participants. There were some big groups out there...but no worse than Kona IMO...

Congrats Matt, that run was incredible. Do you have a key "benchmark workout" for the run where you dial in your pace? Like on your long run do you incorporate long intervals at 5:55 pace?

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It's honestly hard for me not to run in the 5:50-6:05 range for workouts, but I'm working on it. My stride feels most efficient in that range and that's where I'm most comfortable. It's really hard for me, both mentally and physically, to run slower than that (when somewhat fresh). I used to get a stern talking to after many of my long runs by Coach Julie for doing them too fast. I shut off and run and the pace just drifts up into that range. A blessing and a curse I guess.

I don't believe in the concept of "benchmark workout." The benchmark is the entire build, not one or two big days. My long runs are always different. In the past I'd do the entire thing in the 5:55 range. I might do that once a build now, but haven't for a while. More over/under type intervals that leave the overall average of the workout in that time range.

I'm not familiar enough with the Hardy, but you are saying they couldn't have stretched it out 1/2 mile on each end?

My understanding is they had the permits to the exit on the south end where we turn around and the north end they had plenty of distance. However going the full distance going north would have put the u-turn on a fly over which they did not feel was safe when they went out to set the course. The cannot get an accurate measurement of the course until race morning because they cannot drive counterflow on the toll way when the road is open...

Again, this is just my understanding based on a conversation I had a few minutes after finishing race with IM when they told me that it wouldn't count as a record.

With due respect.

You raced a different race than most.

Do not take this personally which you did originally.

The age group race was a mess. And seems like so was the pro female

That does not take away from your race and effort which most (including me) recognize as world class.

My question to you was more from a person that has the opportunity to race clean.

can you elaborate on your sauna protocol? do you believe this has an affect on altitude as well as heat?

I didn't take your post personally, no worries. I tried to share some thoughts from the other people who were in the top 10 who were all seeing the same negative comments that you were referring to. Some of the comments were directed towards the AG race, some were directed towards the pros.

I certainly understand that there were issues in the ag race as well as the female pro race. I was trying to answer all of your questions in the post as best as I was able. Sorry if you thought I took it personally.

Basically, overdressing for 60-90 minute workouts, then sitting in a sauna for 30 minutes immediately after. I do it 10 our of 14 days, then you should theoretically be able to hold the adaptation with 1-2 sessions with heat stress per week.

No, this would not likely help with adaptation to altitude. It will increase blood volume, but not hematocrit.

robgray wrote:

Congrats Matt, that run was incredible. Do you have a key "benchmark workout" for the run where you dial in your pace? Like on your long run do you incorporate long intervals at 5:55 pace?

I think the answer to the question is he does a set of endless intervals at 5:55 pace spread over an entire build.

Many years ago, Fleck was talking about discussions he had with one of the top pros of the day (I am guessing it was Peter Reid but I could be wrong), and the answer to "what's my IM run target pace, the answer to which was your average run pace over your entire build" (or something like that). In practice, I have found this plays out quite accurately for most non elite athletes. I would think for elite athletes, it would be somewhat faster pace than their average day in day out pace, which seems to be what Matt is implying by his comfort pace that he drifts into.

Matt, my questions:

1. Height and weight for race day?
2. What if any big plans are there from now till Kona?
3. In your mind, can you run with Lange (I think many of us think you can when you are on....you guys have similar body measurements and from the look of it similar engines and should both have major heat dissipation advantages on the Kona run)
4. With the ride you did, do you think this ride fitness is sufficient to make the main pack in Kona (your ride was 12 min off Starky)
5. Your 52:30 no wetsuit swim in Woodlands translates to around the same in Kona given salt water and waves/swells, or so you think it can be faster?

Congrats on the win! My question is: Was that an intentional front door, or back door brag?

I know if I could ever say that I won a race multiple times, I would front door brag that all day long!

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Ask me how much I love my Kiwami LD Aero Trisuit

When you said that Matt has helped you learn how to express the power outdoors that you are putting out on the trainer what are you doing to do that???? Just curious as I (and I believe a lot of age groupers) do most of their training indoors. Thanks and congrats on the win!!!

Great race Matt. What is your IM recovery protocol? Anything special nutrition wise?

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Let food be thy medicine...

Congratulations! 3peating is pretty special.
What running shoes did you race in and do you train in a variety of shoes? If so, which ones?

Thanks Mark

Hi Dev-

1. 5'10 and 150 lbs
2. I'll race a few 70.3s, likely Chattanooga and Coeur d'Alene. Then take a few weeks off and support my wife at Challenge Roth. I start my Kona build mid July, spend a bit of time in Kona in September, come home and head out late to Kona. Haven't really figured out my race schedule for August/September.
3. Whether or not I can run with Patrick (at Kona...) probably depends on weather or not I can make the first pack in the swim with my current bike fitness. The pace the first pack heads off on the bike is much faster, which makes the chase much harder. Obviously, that has an effect on the run.
4. Same as previous question. I have the bike fitness to be in the first pack if I can execute the swim I need to. If I swim second pack, the strategy would likely be to ride a more steady race on my own and slowly pick up the group rather than chase hard and try to settle. A lot will happen between now and October though :).
5. I swam 51:22 in Kona last year. I was able to hang on the front group through about 3k before getting spit off the back. I executed a really good swim there, I didn't here in Texas.

Good question...and one I wish I had an easy answer for. There have been so many little adjustments that we have made. One major adjustment is that being I almost never use erg mode on the trainer any more (with the exception of cadence work...and maybe some of the recovery rides where it is ok to zone out a bit). Staying mentally engaged and focused on controlling the power, not just producing the power (if that makes sense). I've also made a few position changes which I think have helped me feel more stable on the bike. And I have just gained a lot of confidence. I've always relied on my run, but they have been pushing me more and more out of my comfort zone on the bike and making me prove that I can still run hard after.

I raced in the On CloudFlash.
I do most of my training in the On CloudSurfers.

Thanks so much. As you can probably tell, my questions were highly loaded. I am assuming that if you execute the swim you want, then WE fans should expect to see you come off the bike with Lange at worst, maybe ahead if possible. Then we have a Kona lightweights run smackddown. Hopefully you guys can give us a Mark vs Dave 1989 show. Good luck to your wife at Challenge Roth!

I guess one last thing....if you don't execute the first pack swim and do the second pack swim, how does the presence of Lionel + Wurf + Kienle affect how you use them (or NOT) to bridge up. Also you said he stayed in the front pack to 3K at Kona. What happened at that point. Did someone surge and a gap opened up like in a bike crit and it was too late by the time you noticed, or was it just losing the feet of someone in front in a swell and not being able to close that small gap that suddenly goes from 5 feet to 15 feet?

Dev

1. Time in the normatec (2-3 times per day)
2. Swim every day. Today I think I made it a whopping 700 yds, but it's good to get the body moving.
3. Nothing really special nutrition wise. I typically eat what I want, when I want. I do continue to take at least one serving of Ultragen every day (first endurance's recovery blend) even if I don't have any real workouts that day.
4. I prefer not to run for 4 days after an IM race, but much of that depends on whether or not I cramped and how deep I had to dig, etc.
5. Compression socks whenever I am traveling home.

No real questions... It’s just fun for a M-BOP AG’er like me to share the course with pros like you, and compare results. I was well on my way to a bike PR and when I checked my overall time, I figured you were probably already done.

Congrats on the win yesterday!

I don't have a specific plan for Kona yet for this year. That won't come for a few months. Today, I probably wouldn't try to ride with those guys if they passed me in the first hour. But like I said, a lot can happen between now and then. There will be some solid swim bikers there as well, so I suspect that will change the dynamics of the race up front. Won't really start to develop a plan until the start list is finalized.

Last year, I started cramping up at the 3k mark. I was sitting in the mix pretty well, not hanging on the back. I got sick 10 days before the race and was never really able to shake it. I have had calf cramps in the water before, but never systemic cramps like I did there, so guessing something was way off due to the bug I caught.

Thanks for the visibility and openness on the race plan/tactics and what happened last year on the swim. This type of interaction with fans really makes our sport exciting and different even though most outside our sport will say it is like watching paint drying. Its exciting for those of us who can understand all the dynamics even though our version is a slow motion version of what you guys do.

Lightweights? I thought all the top guys were around this size (150-160 lbs) and that Lange was the outlier at ~135. Am I wrong on that? What are the stats for Kinle/Frodo/Sanders?

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Any run that doesn't include pooping in someone's front yard is a win.