Equipment, Equipment, Equipment

I finally took the plunge and purchased a dedicated triathlon bike. After much research and debate (amongst me, myself and I) I decided on a Cervelo P1. I had the custom fit at the Bike Doctor in Arnold Maryland and it came down to a Cervelo P1 and Trek Equinox as the best fit for my size and position on the bike.

I decided on the Cervelo because it had a better groupset and was slightly less expensive. The very first ride I had on the new bike was the Lums Pond Sprint Triathlon. It took a few minutes to get used the new position, but in a matter minutes I new I made the right choice. The new bike is like going from driving a SUV to driving a sports car. People who do triathlons or ride road bikes will know what I am talking about. The difference in speed on the bike and road feel in the saddle is like night and day. On my first ride during the Lums Pond race my average speed increased 2.3 mph. Now this may not seem like much but it is a 20% increase in average speed. I just felt faster and felt much more refreshed coming off the bike to the run. I had my best bike and run splits of the year. The new bike is just much faster.

So for those who don't think the right equipment can make a difference (and I was one of them) you are wrong. The right tool for the right job is important and a 2.3 mph increase over 112 miles is going to save me a bunch of time in November.

This training thing can be hard!!

I have been training a lot more since I now have a coach setting up my workout schedule. I have lost 15lbs since I started training with the new workouts in July. I still want to lose another 10lbs to get to my goal weight for the Ironman in November.

Some days I just don't feel like doing the workout. But I have not missed a scheduled workout yet and I don't plan to. With demands of work and family I have had to adjust my training times a bit but I haven't missed a workout yet!

One of the hardest parts of training isn't the physical part, but the mental part. Having to get up on a Saturday morning and bike for 35-40 miles and then run 5miles is tough. Mentally I have to wrap my brain around the increase in distance and time. Riding and running for 3-4 hours gives you a lot of time to think. So while my body is getting physically stronger with the increased training volume I am also getting mentally stronger. I've got to get to the point where I can honestly believe that I can swim 2.4 miles, bike 112 miles and run 26.2 miles. I am not at that point yet but I am getting closer everyday.

Lums Pond Sprint 2009

This was my first time at Lums Pond and I really enjoyed the race. Especially on the out and back run I heard plenty of "Go Crabs". I'm only in my 2nd year of racing so I still enjoy typing up my official "race report" so here goes.

Packet pickup on race day was a mess. I'm glad i came the day before and picked up the race packet. It made for a stress free race morning. They also need some porta potties (or whatever you call them). There was still a line at the ladies room when the race started.

Swim
Somehow this was a wetsuit legal race at 76 degrees. The water felt much warmer than that except for the a couple of cool spots after the first turn. They only had 4 swim waves so it was a crowded swim start. For some reason they stuck the Clydesdales with the under 39 crowd. That is a recipe for the disaster (I race as a Clydesdale). So my plan was to find a clear spot at the beginning, get into a nice pace and weave my way thru. That went south after about 150yds when I was kicked in the face and my goggles came off. I have heard that that will eventually happen to everyone in a race so I am glad I am done with that. So my nose was a bit sore but I was able to make it thru the swim and it seemed like I passed a bunch of people, so I was happy.

Bike
I ran the 50yds or so to transition and saw my wife and daughter (which made me smile) and then I heard the first of many "Go Crabs" as Annette was right there at the swim in.

I just purchased a new tri bike and this was actually the first time I had ridden it. I know they say not to try something new during a race, but I was traveling for work last week and I just didn't have time to ride before the race. But for those that don't think a tri bike makes a difference think again. For me the bike was great. I took a few minutes to settle into the new position, but being able to changes gears in the aero position is great. I saw Ashley (my coach) at the bike mount area and he told me to take my time stay calm etc. Thanks Ashley! The bike course was nice and flat and seemed pretty fast. I was still passed by some faster riders but I also passed quite a few people. There were also quite a few groups of riders drafting. I didn't think drafting was allowed. So in the spirit of the event I did not try to get in line. I was really starting to get into the bike and then it was over. I felt great getting off the bike. Coming into T2 I again heard the "Go Crabs" but I didn't see who it was. I screwed up in the transition and went down the wrong side of my row and my bike wouldn't fit under the bar. So I had run around to the other side. I need to be more alert to than next time.

Run


This is my weakness but I am really trying to work on my running and have a better attitude about it. This is where I always get passed and lose a lot of time. But I was off, running around the field and onto the tree lined course. I did North East last year and you just bake in the sun. Except for the beginning and end of the run, you are in the shade. I have been having some knee trouble and the pain flared up about a mile into the run. I had to walk for a few seconds and then started back up with a bit slower pace and the knee "locking" worked its way out. After the run turn around I came across my business partner running toward me. I had about a half mile lead on him. It was at this point that I kicked into another gear. There was no way in hell that I was going to let him run me down and beat me. I would have never heard the end of it. So I just picked up my pace and when I hit the field I just started to run as fast as I could.

I saw Ashley again taking pictures and then I saw my daughter and she wanted run in with me and that was great running thru the finish line with her.

My overall time was 1:42:44. My goal was 1:45. I have never done a sprint under 2 hours so this was a big barrier for me to cross.

I cannot tell you how great it is when on the run every few minutes I would hear "Go Crabs". That race was littered with crabs of all abilities. The support from the members of ATC is great.

I also wanted to mention that we had two "Little Crabs" race in the youth tri on Saturday. If you haven't been to a youth event it is great to see. This was my daughter 2nd race and she loved it. She finished 4th in the 7-8F (by about 30seconds) and 7th overall in the 7-8 group. She has finished 4th in both of her races and she is determined now to "get a medal" next year. I couldn't be prouder of her. Her one request after yesterday's race was that she wants to get one of the "Crab" jerseys to wear in her races next year. So all in all I had a great weekend!