2016 IM World Championships: Some days...

I've been thinking about this blog post for a while now. I knew it was important to write this report before I forgot the finer details of the race, but at the same time I did not want to put my experience into words this year as it was a pretty painful race. This was my 9th time racing in Kona. I came into this year's race knowing that it would be my last time here for a while. The thing about this race is that it takes a piece of your soul. I've said this before and most athletes that have raced at the IM World Championships will tell you the same thing. It's just a different race. The heat, humidity, wind, competition, and the fact that it's the world championship all combine to make it the most challenging race I have ever done. Here's the blow by blow of the race: Swim: 59:25 I lined up out in the front row, to the left, as I had from 2012-2014. It's still really dense with athletes out there, but the super aggressive guys tend to line up closer to the pier looking for faster feet to follow. This race has gotten so deep in talent that now there are many athletes that can swim sub 1:02 (Kona swim is usually about 5 minutes slower than most other Ironmans). Fortunately I had a relatively uneventful swim this year. I felt pretty comfortable throughout, except for the occasional swell that would push several of us on top of each other. I came out of the water with my fastest swim time at this venue, but this still ranked me as the 405th athlete out of the water. Bike: 5:26:06 I was determined to settle into the race on the bike. I did not want to get caught up in the early adrenaline rush of the first 20 kilometers. It can be comical watching athletes ride this section close to their Olympic distance efforts. My goal was to be smooth and patient until I got out on the Queen K. Then I wanted to settle into my proper heart rate and power zones for the remainder of the day. The first thing that struck me was how much more crowded the course felt this year. The number of athletes allowed to race in Kona has been steadily climbing since 2011. I did this race back in 2005 and there were 1,743 finishers. In 2011 there were 1,773 finishers, so not much of a change. Then from 2012-2014 there were a little less than 2,000 finishers. In 2016, there were 2,207 finishers. It's not just the number of athletes that causes the congestion problems, though. It's the fact that the level of talent has become very similar. So, these facts led to a swarm of athletes starting the bike section together. In 2014 I received 2 penalties within the first 20 kilometers of the bike, one for blocking and one for drafting. I felt that both were not fair calls and I was determined to stay out of the sin bin in 2016. Once I got out onto the Queen K, I got down into my aerobars and tried to get to work. Every time that a pack would roll up on me, I would sit up and drop back. As I was riding along, I noticed that my power was about 15% lower than it normally would be at this point in the race. My perceived effort and heart rate were in line, but my power was much lower. I tried to stay positive as it's always possible to get a false read output and it's a long day. As the miles clipped by I continued to get passed on a regular basis. The realization was setting in that the power numbers were probably correct. I did not let this bring me down. However, I was getting frustrated by the number of riders drafting in large packs. I was getting passed on the left and right side. It was a really dangerous situation. I made my way up to the turnaround at Hawi and I saw my teammate Craig Lanza. I paused for a second as I was passing him to ask how he was feeling. An official rolled up next to me right at that moment and gave me a blue card (5 minute penalty) for not passing within the 45 second required time. I was pretty upset but it's the rules. Ultimately, the penalty did not impact my race at all as I just had a really off day. Once I spent my 5 minutes in the sin bin, I headed back down towards Kona. I actually felt pretty good the remainder of the bike section, but my power never came back. I knew it was not going to be one of my better races, but I was looking forward to the marathon. I have been able to run three sub 3:10 marathons in Kona and I thought I might be able to try for sub 3 hour mark this year. Run: 3:46:39 Well sometimes the best laid plans go up in smoke. I hit the run feeling pretty good. I tried to ease into things for the first two miles. It usually takes me two to three miles to loosen up after the bike so I did not want to push things to soon. As I ran through the 3 mile marker I knew something was really wrong. I had just hit the split button on my Timex watch and I saw 7:15 flash across the screen. I was overheating and just felt terrible. It had taken way to much effort to run that mile and I was really starting to struggle. I shuffled along until mile 6 when I made my first visit to the wonderful porta-potties. I actually came out of the deluxe bathroom feeling much better. Unfortunately that only lasted for about .5 mile. Then I was back to survival mode. Once I got to the aid station, I did my routine of walking the entire length. I took as much water, cola, and ice as I could. I walked every single aid station this year. I've done this in the past and still ran good times. The strategy just was not working this year. I was willing to try anything that I thought would not make me more nauseous. I even had Red Bull for the first time in a race. It gave me a pick up for about 30 seconds, then I was right back to feeling absolutely horrible. I saw my family at mile 9 and I knew I had to finish the race no matter what. They were so excited even though I must have looked horrendous. I made a promise to myself that I was going to do whatever I had to do to finish the race. I could not quit in front of my three boys. It took everything I had to make it the last 17 miles. At mile 13, I had to make another porta stop. This abode had clearly seen some athletes that did not care about sanitary conditions. It was absolutely disgusting and had been sitting out in the hot sun all day, which made an even more potent odor than normal. I stumbled out of the box as quickly as I could and continued my journey. My goal for the remainder of the race was to run as much as I could. It wasn't pretty at all, but I was able to cross the finish line for my 9th Ironman World Championship finish in 9 tries. Finish: 10:18:38 Clearly, this was not my day, but I was very proud to get across that finish line!

Griskus Sprint: The Need for Speed!

This was my lucky 13th time racing the Wednesday night Sprint distance World Championships. My fitness was still below my normal July numbers. However, I knew I would give everything I had. I always look at sprint distance triathlons as an all out (well almost) effort from start to finish. My game plan was to take the swim out as fast as I could without redlining then really hit the bike hard and try to hold on to some speed on the run. Swim: 11:27 13th Swim times can vary from year to year at any venue so I always just try to see how I stack up against the competition. I was fairly happy with my swim. I was able to come out of the water with a small group of athletes that had bunched up following a few faster swimmers. This was the best I could hope for, realistically. Bike: 27:45 1st I was able to move through T1 relatively quickly and jumped out onto the bike course in 5th place. I managed to move up enough to catch sight of Dom G. (1st OA) by the half way point. However, my forward race progress ended there. When I looked at my numbers after the race, I realized that I had really pushed the first 5 miles in some hot temps and I must have just hit my limit. I continued to go as hard as I could, but ended up only getting 11 seconds back from Dom for the entire bike segment. This put me 30 seconds down heading into T2. I lost another 9 seconds in T2, which pretty much solidified the day as Dom. is a consistently faster runner. Run: 17:53 3rd I really tried to run fast off of the bike, but the legs did not want to comply. The heat, humidity, and bike effort had taken a toll. I focused on running to a decent rhythm and tried to keep some form. My combined bike/run time (45:38) was my slowest since my first time racing the sprint in 2001. While that was frustrating, I believe it was due mostly to the high heat/humidity. I crossed the line pretty flogged and happy to have finished another Wednesday night sprint World Championship! Finish: 58:58 2nd Overall

Griskus Olympic: Fitness is coming back, just slowly..

I was very relaxed going into this race. I knew that my fitness was equivalent to where it normally is in February, not in June. I track my fitness levels using the Performance Management Chart in Training Peaks. My Chronic training load is trending higher, but still depressed after my spring health hiccups mentioned in my earlier post. So, I was being realistic with myself. I will always try to give everything I have on the day, but I like to know what I'm capable of on the day. My goal for the race was to continue building my high end fitness back. There is no better way to do that than to get out and race. Swim: 24:28 I knew that I would not be able to match the speed of the top guys this year. Normally I will still try to go out as fast as possible, but this year I decided to try to build my effort and not blow up 200 meters into the swim. I ended up doing the entire swim on my own. I exited the water 4th in my wave and had the 9th fastest swim time on the day. Bike: 1:04:48 While my fitness was not where I wanted it to be, I knew that I would need to push the bike harder than I had at REV3 Quassy two weeks prior. However, I did not want to get caught up looking at my numbers every couple of minutes. So I made the decision to just go by feel. The bike course is very hilly and there are no real places to settle in. I had two notable moments during the bike. The first came about 10 miles into the course where there is normally a sharp right hand turn while coming down a steep descent. As I was approaching the turn, I noticed that there were no volunteers out on the road and no turn signs. I blew past the right hand turn and quickly remembered the race director, Tom Wilkas, mentioning that there was one course change from the previous year (I missed the race in 2015). Oops, my bad. The second incident happened about 5 miles later as I was descending on a very curvy section of road. A landscaping truck had managed to get on the course in front of me and it was not in a hurry. Oh well, better to be safe and come back to race again than try to blow past the truck (although that thought did cross my mind). I came into T2 and heard over the loudspeaker that I was 4 minutes down. Run: 34:23 So I knew I had one racer, Spencer Rahlston, out in front of me, but I did not know who was coming from behind (M45+ started 3 minutes behind). I was pleasantly surprised that my legs felt fresh coming off of the bike. I decided to run as hard as I could while holding form. As I progressed through the run, my form held up. This was the first time this year that I actually felt smooth running. It usually takes me a while into each year to get my run form back on track. This year has taken longer due to my spring break. It's a two loop run course, so you get a chance to see the other athletes three times. I knew heading out that I was not going to catch Spencer. The only question was if I could hold off the runners coming from behind. I was able to run a decent time and just squeaked in ahead of Mitch West by 17 seconds. This put me in 2nd place overall. I always enjoy racing at the Griskus race series and this year was fantastic!

REV3 Quassy: Using a race to build fitness

The Quassy race course is one of the most challenging and honest courses that I've raced throughout the years. It deserves a lot of respect. I was a bit concerned coming into this year's race with how I would hold up covering the punchy hills with my level of fitness. So my goal for this race was to use it strictly as a training race. If I felt good I would go with it, but I was not going to dig deep at any point during the day. Swim: 28:35 This was the one discipline I felt pretty good about coming into the race. I had a good warm-up and did my usual pick-ups so I could avoid the hypoxic feeling. The swim start is on the beach and the first 15 yards is kind of a funnel. I lined up on the inside hoping to get out quick and out of the chaos. I was able to do this and noticed that only 2 guys got out in front of me. I tried to quickly jump on the feet of one of the swimmers. I was able to do this, but in the process the lead swimmer got a 10 meter gap. In hindsight, that gap was inevitable as the lead swimmer was a former Olympic swimmer, Pie Geelen. I was pleased when I came out of the water 2nd place in my age group. Bike: 2:38:16 My mantra right from the beginning was to ride steady. I did not want to feel any leg burning throughout the ride. Whenever I felt like I was starting to bear down to much, I would back it off a notch. I felt relatively smooth and was actually enjoying myself in the rainy conditions. There are some sections of the course that I had to be a bit more cautious due to the conditions, but it was the same for everyone. I managed to ride up to the lead vehicle by the half way point. At this point, I focused on maintaining my caloric intake and sticking to my strategy. Things were rolling along well and I was pleasantly surprised that my legs were holding up. I knew the real test was going to come on the back half of the run, but I was happy with my bike effort up to that point. At mile 55, Brian Duffy blew past me like a freight train. He was cooking and ended up completely blowing the race apart. His 4:09 final overall time was 6 minutes faster than my best time at this race back in 2009. He is going to smoke IM Lake Placid in July. Once I got over the ego bashing pass from Brian I finished up as 2nd athlete into T2. I had stuck to my game plan while riding over 2 hours in Z2 and only 16 minutes in Z3 heart rate. Run: 1:26:34 This discipline was my biggest question mark coming into the race. I was really concerned that my lack of spring specific training would leave me weak on the run. I knew I needed to find a decent rhythm as quickly as I could. The course is very hilly and it never really lets you settle in. It can be very fun if you are run fit, but it can be a killer if you are behind the curve. When I am fit, I try to get right up into Z3 heart rate. That was not the goal at this race. I spent the first 15 minutes in Z1, then ran the next 1hr 9mins in Z2. I only hit Z3 for 1 minute during the run. By mile 8, Dave Slavinski (M45-49), had closed the 5 minute head start I had gotten by my wave starting first. Dave was extremely nice and he turned into a perfect diversion from the pain I was starting to feel. He slowed down and ran with me for about 2 miles. His company helped to get me over two really steep hills. At this point, I was really struggling and just tried to run steady for the remainder of the race. I willed myself the remaining distance and crossed the line with a total time of 4:35:59 1st M40-44 and 4th Overall. There are times when an athlete can be very fit and not have an optimal performance. Then there are times when an athlete can be at a lower fitness level, but can outperform that fitness level. I was very happy to say that I really outperformed my fitness level for this race and I was really happy with the result. I know that I will get a nice fitness boost from the effort and that it will help point me in the right direction for my push into Kona in October.

Coming back from sickness

I've been pretty fortunate throughout my seventeen years of racing triathlon. I have not had any significant injuries or long term sicknesses. Of course I've had the bumps and bruises of getting hit by a car (twice), the occasional Achilles flair up, plantar fascia, and the random cold. However, I've managed to steer clear of anything chronic by listening to my body and doing the proper maintenance throughout the year. Quick backstory: I grew up in the running boom of the late 70s/early 80s watching my father and his peers run themselves ragged. They all experienced injuries that would put them on the sidelines for significant amounts of time. So I promised myself that I would not make the same mistakes. My four main principles to longevity in the sport are: 1. Stay healthy 2. Stay consistent 3. Train properly 4. Have fun My approach to staying healthy has been to have a consistent recovery routine, a supplement plan, and try my best for optimal sleep. My recovery routine consists of a weekly sports massage. This really helps me bounce back from hard races and workouts in addition to being preventive for any potential chronic injuries. I also use my Normatec boots during the race season and from time to time I will use my Compex muscle stimulator (although I haven't really committed to this yet). For my supplement plan, I try to get my bloodwork done twice a year to see where my deficiencies lie. Then I put together a plan of action with my nutritionist for a proper supplement plan to address my areas of need. I have been using Standard Process products for my supplement needs since 2009. The company has been around since 1929 and uses a whole food philosophy. Finally, but definitely not least, sleep has become especially important for me as my chronical age has increased. I used to be able to get away with five to six hours of sleep a night, commute two hours each way to work and still train pretty hard. Now, I find that I need at least seven to eight hours of sleep a night combined with my fifteen minute commute to/from work each day in order to train optimally. Here's my quick story on the start to my 2016 season. I had a really good winter base training that included a major swim focus and a maintenance strength focus. My aerobic engine felt strong. I had set myself up for a solid transition to the build phase of my annual training plan. However, I had made a decision at the beginning of the year that I would stop taking all of my supplements for the first three months of the year. I made that decision because I wanted to try to focus on trying to eat as healthy as I could and see how my body would react. Unfortunately, this turned out to be a bad decision in hindsight. I believe it allowed my immune system to become suppressed. On Monday, March 7th I was diagnosed with shingles. I had been experiencing the symptoms for nine days at the time, but I had been in denial until I just could not stand the pain anymore. My wife finally talked me into going to the walk in clinic. The doctor diagnosed my condition within ten seconds of seeing my rash on my lower back and right thigh. I explained to her that the pain was two pronged. I felt like someone had taken a baseball bat to my right quad and I had a deep bone bruise. The second and much more annoying pain was an intense neuron firing on the skin where the rash had appeared. It felt like I was being bitten by a thousand fire ants all at once. The pain would come and go, but when it came it was absolutely brutal! The doctor prescribed anti-viral meds and informed me that I could not train at all for ten days. At first I did not want to follow her advice, but when she told me that I was at risk for a potential serious infection if my rash opened up I quickly accepted the time out. This was the first significant in-season forced break that I had taken since I started in 2000. Unfortunately, sometimes it pours when it rains. I started training again slowly after my ten day break. I was trying to be smart and not push my comeback to quickly. However, my immune system must have still been really low and I came down with a bronchial infection that I think I picked up from the kids. Normally, my immune system is pretty strong throughout the year and I rarely catch anything from the kids, but I was forced to take another break to let my body recover. The second setback really challenged my mental strength. I really struggled with my motivation all through the month of April. The warm weather finally came to the Northeast in May and my motivation slowly started to return. The inconsistency of my training had put my fitness back to my normal January levels. Fortunately, I had planned my lightest race season since my first year racing. I have only five races on the docket for 2016: REV3 Quassy, Griskus Olympic, Griskus Sprint, 70.3 Timberman, and Kona. I am now looking forward to building my fitness and the privilege of being able to participate in these endurance events.

3 Race Preparation Workouts To Unlock Your Potential

Three Race Preparation Workouts to Find your Edge As you get close to a goal race, finding that extra edge on race day is a combination of physical and mental preparation and both being and feeling ready. Training sessions that simulate race conditions ensure your body is physiologically ready and allows you to get your head in the game. Here are three ‘ace preparation workouts that one can use to prep for 70.3 and shorter races. Ideally done 3-6 weeks out (not on your taper week), after your main training weeks have been completed and the race gets closer. Workout #1: Swim-Bike The purpose of this workout is to practice the physiological demands of going straight from a swim to a bike effort. Many athletes have a hard time transitioning from the swim to the bike in races. This workout is a little below race effort so the athlete can practice the two disciplines back to back and build their confidence. The bike has hill repeats to build in some strength work following a short adaptation segment following the swim. Swim: 30 minutes at an intermediate to moderately hard effort (Zone 2/3). This is ideally done in the open water, but can be done in the pool as well if necessary. Quickly transition to the bike: Bike: 15 minutes on flat roads at Z1-2 heart rate then Hill Repeats: 6 x 3 minutes at Zone 3/4 on 2 minute recoveries or time to get back down to starting point Cool down: 10 minutes @ low Zone 1 heart rate Workout #2: Bike-Run The purpose of this workout is to practice a tempo brick effort and to simulate the feeling of running fast off the bike in a race. One of the benefits of tempo brick off the bike, is to help an athlete move through the sensation of tired legs and learn to get up to speed. Athletes will feel tired legs coming off the bike section, then have to get their legs turning over in order to get up to effort quickly. You need to really focus and work hard on the bike in order to maintain mid to high zone 3 heart rate, then really dial in your run effort in order to get right up to high zone 3 and eventually build to low zone 4. Warm up: Bike: 15 minutes building from Zone 1 to Zone 2 Main set: Bike: 30 minutes: mid to high Zone 3 Quickly transition to run Run: 15 minutes: high Zone 3 to low Zone 4 Cool down: 10 min jog at low Zone 1 Workout #3: Swim-Bike-Run This is a very challenging set and can be used to prep for an Olympic distance race. It is a sub-threshold set and really gets an athlete used to putting out a high effort, recovering, and then going again. This is a great workout for building mental strength as well and the fortitude and mindset required to have a successful triathlon. This workout can be done at a pool or open water setting. The bike should be done on a trainer on or near the pool deck or at the open water swim venue. The run should be performed on a relatively flat measured course right at the venue. Warm up swim: 10 x 50 alternate free and choice stroke/ 4 x 50 as 25 sprint/25 easy on 15 seconds recovery Repeat this superset 3 times Swim: 400 yards/meters at goal race effort Bike: 5 minutes building heart rate as quickly as possible to zone 4 and holding Run: 400 meters at between 5k and 10k race pace – Zone 4 heart rate Recover: 5 minutes active: i.e. walking, light jog. Race preparation and race simulation sessions are a key tool in training for triathlon. They are specific and hard practices and should be used judiciously in training. Done properly, then help you become a better mental athlete and get your body fine-tuned for the demands of race day. LifeSport coach Chris Thomas is a USAT certified coach who is currently ranked one of the top amateur triathletes in the world. Chris is certified to work with both youth and seniors. Contact Chris to share your goals, race faster, or master the Ironman distance.

Optimizing my immune system heading into the winter months

I always struggle this time of year following my annual Ironman race (past 6yrs). I come home and try to relax from the stresses of my race and the training load into that event. This year I am trying to be very aggressive with my approach to keeping my immune system as strong as possible. My goal is to stay physically and mentally strong throughout the winter months. This year, I have worked with my nutritionist to build my list of the following supplements from Standard Process: Echinacea Premium: Enhance Immune System/Support a healthy immune response following stress, sudden changes in weather or temperature Astragalus Complex: enhance immune system function Rhodiola & Ginseng Complex: supports the body's natural defenses against emotional and environmental stressors Stay Healthy!

IM Maryland

Pre-Race This was my 10th Ironman and first non-Kona Ironman since 2003. I chose to take a year off from racing the IM World Champs in 2015 because I really felt that I needed a mental and physical break from probably the hardest (everything considered) iron distance race. It sounds cliche, but it really takes a piece of your soul. So, I chose IM Maryland for many reasons. First, I like to race this time of year as I feel that the summer weather allows me to train just right for a fall peak. Also, I have raced the 70.3 Eagleman course 7x previously. So I know the venue really well and many sections of the course are the same for both venues. Race morning started with temps in the high 40s and winds of 15-30mph. Water temps were 63 degrees. Even though the conditions were not ideal, I was mentally prepared for the day. I stayed calm throughout the race announcements that preceded the swim start and just focused my thoughts on visualizing how I wanted the race to unfold. The first announcement came 20 minutes prior to the scheduled start: "due to the winds of 15-30mph, a small craft advisory has been issued and we cannot continue with the full 2.4 mile swim course. The course will be shortened to 1.2 miles and the race will be delayed to 7:30am start." Fortunately, I had packed an extra bottle of calories and electrolytes, so the delay did not effect my nutrition balance at all. The second announcement came at 7am: "The conditions have improved and we are working to lengthen the course out to 3 kilometers (1/2 mile short of full distance). Race start will remain 7:30." Swim: 43:26 (36th OA / 7th AG) The conditions prevented any warm-up swim prior to the start. So the first jump into the water, as we ran down the boat ramp, was a bit of a shock to the systems. We swam out about 25 meters then made a right turn right into the rising sun. I couldn't see a thing, but neither could anyone else. Fortunately (in this case), I am not going to be leading any Ironman swims, so I had plenty of splashes to follow. I experienced the usual elbows, feet, bumping, and swimming over athletes. However, I kept the perceived effort pretty easy. I exited the water feeling extremely fresh and ready to roll the remainder of the race. Bike: 4:49:12 (8th OA / 2nd AG) The two main factors that I wanted to focus on during the bike were: staying comfortable and my nutrition. My riding attire was spot on for the cooler conditions. I wore my Skins compression calf and arm sleeves in addition to my Castelli one piece tri suit and aero top. I felt like I really nailed my nutrition. I focused on staying patient on the bike. I was very methodical in my approach to my nutrition, electrolyte, and hydration. The cooler temps forced me to have 6 rolling #1 potty breaks. I've never had to do this in an Ironman before as it's usually so hot that I just sweat everything out. The winds definitely played a big factor for the entirety of the bike ride. I would say that 90% of the time we had a side wind or head wind. However, that 10% that was a tailwind was glorious! I came off the bike feeling relatively fresh and optimistic for the run. For the first time in an Ironman race I was able to get off of my bike without my hamstrings locking up on me. Run: 3:10:23 (3rd OA / 2nd AG) I was told that I came off the bike in 4th place overall. I had the normal stiffness and fatigue coming off of a 112 mile bike, but I was way more fresh than I've ever been at this stage in an ironman. I tried to focus on getting into a rhythm and settling in for a consistent run. I was able to roll sub 7 minute miles off pretty well until mile 12. At this point, I hit the headwind and my pace dropped substantially to high 7 minute mile pace. Fortunately that slowdown was mostly due to the headwind. I did start to take cola at each aid station going forward and I even walked a bit of each aid station to make sure I absorbed the fluids. I started to feel some deep muscular fatigue by mile 16. I have felt this in the past but not to the same extent in recent ironmans. Fortunately, I ran up on a local athlete at this time (Tim S). I was able to run with him for a few miles. By the time I hit mile 19, my hamstrings were cramping like crazy and my quads were screaming. I was trying to take as much salt as my stomach could handle. However, I believe I was just to muscularly fatigued from the day, wind, and colder temps. By mile 21 I had managed to move up to 3rd place overall. I saw that 2nd place was going through a really rough patch. I tried to keep a pace that wouldn't cause my cramping to re-emerge. I managed to keep the cramps down and moved into 2nd place right before the 22nd mile. At mile 25, my right calf locked up on me. I knew I could force my way over the last 1.2 miles, so I just kept moving the best I could. It was not pretty at all, but I was able to cross the finish line in 2nd place overall. Final: 8:50:21 (2nd OA / 1st AG) Post Race: This year I am really focused on my recovery. I have had a really hard time the past few years with my recovery during the first month following the race. I am using all of my Standard Process supplements that my nutritionist has recommended for my optimal recovery. I look forward to the 2016 racing season and heading back to Kona for my 9th trip to the Ironman World Championships!

Dealing with the stress of heavy training loads

This time of year I always get reminded how demanding big training volumes can be on the body. Stress is stress and the challenge of trying to balance big training blocks while maintaining a healthy body/mind can be overwhelming. I have mentioned many times before that I have four keys to success: 1. Stay Healthy 2. Stay Consistent 3. Train Properly 4. Have fun I consider sleep to be the most important factor in maintaining optimal health. I get blood work done at least 2x a year and use other tests to see if I am in need of any supplement assistance to my daily diet. One supplement I use this time of year is Drenamin from Standard Process. This supplement addresses many of the key variables that I need: Drenamin supports adrenal function and helps maintain emotional balance. Promotes healthy adrenal gland function Encourages a healthy response to everyday environmental stresses and supports immune system function Maintains energy production Supports a balanced mood Contains a combination of key ingredients from Cataplex C, Cataplex G, and Drenatrophin PMG Good source of antioxidant vitamin C*

70.3 Timberman - Quick Recap

This was my 12th time racing the Timberman venue. I love this course and the surrounding area. I went to prep school on the lake back in 1990-1991. I have always admired the beauty of the Lakes region. I'm going to keep this recap very short and go over the major points of my race. Swim: I saw Charles Perrault right before our wave started and knew that I would definitely not be the fastest M40-44 swimmer on the day. I did try to hold his feet at the beginning and it was the first time that I almost overheated in a wetsuit. I could not hold him and I ended up doing the remainder of the swim by myself. Bike: I came into the race really well rested. I had a hard time settling in on the first 12 miles as my legs were so fresh from the rest. I was able to settle things down once I got onto the main road at mile 13. However, I did make two critical mistakes in hindsight. The conditions were hot and humid on the day. I did not take in enough calories to account for the extra needed in the heat. I, also, got behind on my hydration. There was 1 less aid station at the beginning of the bike this year and I dropped the water bottle at the 2nd aid station. So, I got my first bottle of water at the turnaround at mile 29. Both mistakes are completely my fault and I know better, but sh*% happens sometimes. Run: I started the run conservatively to find my rhythm and then built into a good clip by mile 4. I registered my first and only sub 6 minute mile at that point. Then the wheels slowly started to come off. This is where my 2 big mistakes on the bike started to manifest. It was like a slow moving train wreck. I started to lose energy and focus. I have experienced this numerous times in the past and I should have been able to recognize the symptoms. By mile 7, I was ready to take a nice long time out. So I made a deal with myself to walk the aid stations until I started to feel better. It took 3 aid stations to get back on track, relatively speaking. I was able to get back to a somewhat respectable pace for the final 5k and I crossed the line in 4:21:47 2nd M40-44/5th Amateur/ 34th Overall. This was not one of my better days. They say you learn more from your failures than your successes. While I do not consider this a failure, I sure learned a lot on the day.

Taking Risks: IRONMAN 70.3 World Championships Bike Pacing: From Training Peaks

Taking Risks: IRONMAN 70.3 World Championships Bike Pacing Thursday, August 13, 2015 | By Chris Thomas Email this article Taking Risks: IRONMAN 70.3 World Championships Bike Pacing The 2014 70.3 World Championship was my thirty-ninth Half Ironman distance race. So, I’ve had some opportunities to figure out what works well for me and what does not over the years. I am a bit of a data dork and love to analyze my race data. Race Day Numbers My effort on race day is dictated by triangulating my perceived effort, heart rate, and power in that order. I have found that I need to ride to my own feel. If I get too hung up on a certain power number or heart rate, then I do not race as well. However, I do know my zones very well from my training. When I line up for a race, I know exactly what I am capable of. I may have a good day or a bad day, but I am not just guessing what I can do. So I keep a close eye on my numbers like Normalized Power® (NP®), heart rate, cadence, and speed throughout the race to see how I am riding. I have found that this helps me to stay patient at the beginning of the bike leg, when my legs are fresh and to stay focused in the middle to later sections. I have had a tendency to flake out a bit in the past and my effort has dipped due to the lack of focus. Post Race Analysis According to Hunter Allen and Andrew Coggan in their book, Training and Racing with a Power Meter, the optimal Intensity Factor® (IF®) range to race a Half Ironman is .83-.87. IF shows how intense your effort was as a percentage of your Functional Threshold Power (FTP).I have, personally, seen mine range from .76-.87 over the years. Another one of the other parameters I look at after a race is the Variability Index (VI). VI indicates how smooth your power output was over the ride. The lower your VI, 1.0 being perfect, the more evenly your power production. Joe Friel has stated that an optimal VI for triathlons is 1.05 or below in order to run well off the bike. I have ranged between 1.00-1.08 during my Half Ironman events. Data in Action Here is a look at my data from the 2014 Ironman 70.3 World Championship in Mont Tremblant, Canada Proper Bike Pacing My Intensity factor came in at .82 for this race. While slightly below what I normally see, I felt that I performed well on the day. I had gotten dunked during the start of the swim segment, which cost me a little bit of time. So, I knew I needed to ride well in order to be in a competitive position starting the run. Each race is unique and the dynamics of the Mnt. Tremblant bike course were frustrating at times as packs formed and the tightness of the course design caused a few bottlenecks. In spite of these unfortunate situations, I was able to ride consistent and pretty much stuck to my game plan. I ended up with a variability index of 1.02 for the entire ride. However, even with the proper VI, my quads were very fatigued coming off of the bike as I pushed the last 7.5 kilometers as hard as I could. My goal was to create as much separation as possible during this hilly section. The bike effort brought me into T2 first in my age group. I had an uncharacteristically slow transition and dropped two places coming out onto the run. I could see my competition right in front of me, but I could not match the leg speed of my competition. I ended up getting run down by another athlete and just barely held on for fourth place in the M40-44 bracket by four seconds on fifth place. There were some speedy runners for sure. I was happy with my effort on the day and really felt that I gave everything I had. While my bike numbers indicated I should have been able to run well, I had used a couple of extra bullets that clearly affected me in hindsight. This illustrates that using numbers can help you make good decisions on race day, even if you gamble a bit. Racing is all about fitness, execution, and good decision making. Using data allows you to build on each of these elements. While my numbers were good, I gambled a bit and it was a good learning experience.

Challenge Quassy

I had raced the inaugural REV 3 half Ironman distance event in 2009 at Lake Quassapaug. That course was very challenging but fair. The race course design has changed many times over the years, but the topography of the area will always lend itself to a very challenging course. The 2015 edition did not disappoint. Swim: 27:54 (11th) I was looking forward to starting in the elite wave. I enjoy the competition and it's always nice to get clean roads. I was able to get a good start and I noticed a group of 3 swimmers to my left. I worked hard to bridge up to them, then tried to stay in their draft. It was almost an ideal draft. I was working hard to hold my position throughout the entire swim. At the final turn buoy, the swimmer right in front of me seemed to slow a bit and a gap opened up. I was able to bridge up to the top 2 swimmers and followed them into the beach. I was really happy to come out of my wave in 3rd place. Bike: 2:35:11 (4th)

I was able to come out of T1 in 2nd place overall. I knew the bike course was going to be challenging, so I tried to settle in. My coach, Paul Regensberg, asked me to hit the first half steady and try to build my effort on the 2nd half. I seemed to be sticking to the game plan for the first 40k of the bike. My power and heart rate numbers were decent. I knew I was not going to set any personal bests this day as I just did not have the necessary outdoor riding sessions in the bank. This course never lets you settle in. It consists of a lot of short steep hills with lots of technical sections. I was able to enjoy the lead car until the aid station around mile 25. At that point, an athlete (Pierre-Ives Gigou), went by me like I was riding training wheels. He was so smooth and steady. I knew right away I was not going with him. I hit the 30 mile point after the longest climb of the course and tried to hit the gas as coach prescribed. It was at this point that I realized there was not anything in the tank. So I focused on trying to stay as steady as I could the remainder of the bike. Gigou, a first year pro, put almost 13 minutes into me the remainder of the bike. While I would not have held Pierre on my best day, I know I could have made it a bit more interesting if my fitness was a bit more in line (typical triathlete excuse :-)). My normalized power results came in at 236 watts, which was 36 watts lower than I had produced back in 2009. It was one of those days. Run: 1:23:40 (3rd)

As I came off the bike, I received the information that I was about 12 minutes down. That was a bit disheartening. Coach Paul had asked me to do the run section as a good training day. I focused on my rhythm and tried to find a pace I could settle into. The run course was so undulating that I was all over the map. By the time I hit the hills during the last 5 miles, I was pretty fried and ready to get the race finished. However, even though I was really fatigued, I ended up running better than I had planned. Overall Time: 4:29:12 (2nd Overall) Summary: I entered this race season with the game plan of a late season peak. Usually I need to be at the top of my game this time of year in order to qualify for the Ironman World Championship. With that realization, I was happy with my results on the day. I gave what I had on the day.

Triathlon Canada: Ask the Coach

Dear Coach, A college athlete of mine recently asked me about the importance of sleep. He has a busy school, work and social schedule. His sleep was starting to suffer and he wanted to know if sleep was really that important to his endurance goals. Coach Chris’s response: I emphasized to my athlete just how important proper sleep is. Growth hormone is released during sleep and there is added hormone production when sleep is extended past normal ranges. On the flip side, a two hour reduction to one’s normal sleep pattern is equivalent to consuming enough alcohol to register a .05 blood alcohol level. While the average adult gets 7 to 7.5 hours of sleep daily, there have been recent studies done on athletes that show enormous benefits to athletic performance when they are able to get 10 hours of sleep per night. ESPN even did a story where they stated that sleep is the “magic pill” for athletic performance. I mentioned to my athlete that there are many devices on the market today that track the amount and quality of sleep. I, personally, use the Timex Move X20 to track my daily sleep patterns. I find that it really helps me stay more consistent. I’m also able to better understand my energy levels on a daily basis. LifeSport Coach Chris Thomas has over 10 years of coaching experience and is USAT certified. Chris is also an Ironman 70.3 World Champion (M40-44). He enjoys working with athletes of all levels. Contact Chris to tackle your first triathlon or to perform at a higher level. Find more tips on Twitter@LifeSportCoach.

American Zofingen

Wow, what a race! This has been on my bucket list of races to do for quite some time. I had heard how challenging the race was from several athletes. However, just like most things, you have to find out for yourself! I came into the race having completed 2 outdoor rides since competing in the Ironman World Championships back in October. Both of those outdoor rides where done out in Arizona on Mt. Lemmon during my Timex team camp. So I had not been outside in the northeast in about 7 months. I had logged plenty of trainer miles, so I knew I was fit. I just didn't think I was race fit.

Here's the profile of the run course. The race starts with one 5 mile loop that includes 900 feet of climbing. It's single track for the climbs and groomed wide trails for the decents. I really enjoyed the first loop and felt ready for the bike. I knew it was going to be a long day, so I kept it pretty easy in zone 1 for the first loop.

Once I got onto the bike, I realized right away that I had made a big technical mistake. I still had my 11-25 rear cassette on from Hawaii. The first hill made me realize what a rookie mistake that was. My legs were working right out of the gate. There were sections of the bike that were a bit technical on a couple of the descents. Fortunately, my friend and prior winner, Mitch West had warned me to be cautious on the first downhill. The remainder of the bike was very challenging but enjoyable. By the end of the 3rd lap and 8,406 feet of climbing I was ready to get off my Trek Speed Concept. It had served me well, but I was ready for the 2nd run. My friend Mitch had told me that there were sections of the run that were really steep and would need to be walked. During the first loop of the race, I was thinking to myself that he had no idea what he was talking about. Well, as soon as I hit the run the 2nd time, I knew immediately what Mitch was talking about. Oh my gosh, my heart rate was running high and I was getting pretty dehydrated. I managed through the 3 loops by just focusing on keeping one foot in front of the other. It was not a run, but forward movement. The only real excitement came towards the end of the 2nd loop, when I almost stepped on a huge black snake. I screamed and jumped over it at the last second and I was very happy that there were no witnesses to my little freak moment. That certainly got my heart rate racing again. I crossed the finish line in 7:20:19 and managed to take the overall title. It was an experience I will not forget.

Genetic Testing

I love to learn. I also love to test. Each year I try to do something new to learn about my body and how I can maximize my physiological potential. Over the years, I've tested the following: VO2 max, blood threshold, sweat loss, metabolic efficiency, and wind tunnel. I always learn a lot from each experience. This year Standard Process came out with a new type of Genetic and Fitness assessment using DNA analysis. The link is here: http://www.standardprocess.com/Standard-Process/NutriSync#.VUuwRZMeo3Y The steps were very easy and not intrusive at all. I had to take a brief survey and do two cheek swabs. I sent the cheek swabs back to the lab for analysis. I was then provided with a 22 page report that gave me feedback on how I can improve my nutrition and fitness. This report is based on the analysis of my DNA, so it is completely unique to me. I discovered many interesting things from the report. One item that was especially interesting is that I have a salt-sensitivity. As an endurance athlete, this sensitivity can create some issues in my longer events. From an athletic stand point, my genes showed that I, personally, benefit from a combination of power and low intensity endurance activities. The report showed that I am at 77% of my potential for my nutrition and lifestyle. Overall, the report was very thorough and I look forward to working on the areas I need to improve on.

Sleep!

I've been really enjoying using my new Timex Move X20 (http://www.timex.com/move-x20 ) to track my movements, texts, caller id, and most of all my sleep. Here's a great source to improve sleep patterns. For most adults, about 25% of their nightly rest is deep sleep. (http://www.webmd.com/pain-management/follow-sleep-routine) I also take a supplement called Mintran from Standard Process. My nutritionist recommended it for me due to the following qualities: Min-Tran is a vegetarian product that contains mineral complexes to support emotional balance. Supports a healthy nervous system Mild calmative that helps maintain emotional balance Helps ease the effects of temporary stress Supports the actions of neurotransmitters that regulate mood*

The Power of a early season/New Year purification

I'm 10 days into my yearly purification program (https://www.standardprocess.com/Standard-Process/Purification-Program#.VLEuXnseo3Y) and I feel fantastic. I've lost all of the holiday cheer that I had managed to put on since finishing the Ironman Worl Championships in October (10lbs). Now I'm back to my normal race weight. I did an 11 mile run this morning without having anything for breakfast and only used water. I felt really strong the entire duration. I am really looking forward to the remainder of my program and 2015.

Staying Healthy

What is your "go to" remedy to stay healthy? I am asked that question many times this time of year. My response is: 1. Sleep 2. Probiotics 3. Healthy nutrition habits 4. Appropriate supplements (if necessary). I have been able to track my sleep patterns recently using the Timex Move X20. I love keeping a record of my sleep patterns. It's very interesting to see the good, bad, and ugly of my nightly sleep. I take a daily probiotic to help keep my gut healthy and fend off the common cold and upper respiratory infections. I try to keep a very simple nutrition pattern that includes nutrient dense choices. I get my blood checked 2 times a year to see where I might need to supplement in order to keep things in balance. I usually find that I am deficient in Vitamin D and B12. So I use the appropriate supplementation to get back into balance. I also try to keep my immune system as strong as possible. So I use three products from Standard Process to stay in front of things. The first is Immuplex, which helps support normal range white blood cell activity. I also take Eleuthero, which helps to support immune system function, promotes vitality, physical, and mental endurance. Finally I use Ganoderma and Shiitake which helps to promote the body's normal resistance function. Stay healthy!

IM World Championship-The definition of Insanity

The definition of insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. Well, the mantra this year was to switch things up and see if the outcome would change. I had three main things that I changed up in 2014. First, I went back to a focused strength and plyometrics routine at the beginning of the year. Then I worked the entire season on dialing in my race nutrition. I did not want any nutritional excuses this year. Finally, I increased the frequency and length of my long rides. The result of my changes left me very confident about my foundation strength and my race nutrition. I was not worried about completing the 140.6 miles. I was ready to race. Swim: 1:01:00 I was curious to see how the new swim start would change things this year. I swam out to the starting line and quickly realized that the split start was not going to change how dense the front line gets before the cannon goes off. The usual feeling of being a sardine packed in was still very real. Once the cannon went off, I just tried to keep my head down and stay relaxed. There were arms and feet everywhere, but my best option was to move forward as quickly as I could. After the initial 200 meter smash fest, I was able to get some decent open water. I quickly got into my own rhythm and looked for some feet to follow. I felt really relaxed the remainder of the swim even though the conditions seemed a bit more rolling this year. I came out of the water with the 256th swim time. It wasn't my best, but I was happy with it on the day. Bike: 5:06:00 The long day that is an ironman will always throw unforeseen challenges your way. Each race will have different challenges. So I always try to prepare myself the best I can and hope to adapt to the particular challenge I am presented with on that day. This year I felt really good heading out onto the bike and I was really excited to see how my nutrition plan would play out. What I did not expect was to be flagged for a blocking (just a stand down) and a drafting (four minute timed stand down) penalty within the first ten miles. I was so surprised and very disappointed. My thought process had this progression: anger at the referees for making two very bad calls at the beginning of the race, then the feeling that my race was over, finalized by realizing that it is a very long day and anything can happen. The bike segment was the usual roller coaster of emotions. However, this year the conditions were quite unique. I would say that 2014's bike conditions were the second (behind 2004) hardest that I've experienced in eight times racing here. There was an extreme headwind from miles 25-45. Then we caught some major side winds from 45-55 that literally blew some athletes off the road. We got the usual brutal headwinds heading into the Hawi turnaround from miles 55-60, which did turn into a nice tailwind to start the descent back down to mile 70. Once we turned onto the Queen K at about mile 80, we had a massive tailwind. It was bizarre. I was pedaling as fast as I could while riding along at 40mph and thinking how nice this would be to have the remainder of the ride. However, that all changed at mile 90, when we got another blast of significant headwind to fight the remainder of the ride into T2. It was one of the strangest days I've ever experienced. I came off the bike in 206th place overall and 24th in my age group. While it was not one of my best rides, I was very happy with how my nutrition held up. Run: 3:07:59 One of my main goals this year was to feel good (relatively speaking) coming off the bike. I have only felt decent one time exiting T2 in Kona and I really wanted to change that this year. I was really happy that once I hit the ground running, my legs felt good. It can be very daunting to think of the distance still left to cover and I am guilty of having those thoughts from time to time. So I made a deal with myself that I was only going to think about running to the next aid station. This was the first year that I was able to run the entire marathon without walking any aid stations. I felt pretty good for the first 13 miles then I went through a tough patch until mile 19. My energy levels really dipped during this stretch and I only focused on my cadence in an attempt to keep moving forward at a decent pace. Once I exited the Energy lab, I tried to get my hands moving at a decent clip. I knew my feet would follow if I could stay in the moment and not drift off with my thoughts. The strategy worked and I was able to bring my pace back down to 7 min/mile pace into the finish. I crossed the line with my best marathon time to date and a total time of 9:21:59, which put me in 85th Overall and 6th M40-44. I left it all on the run course.

70.3 World Championships: Mont-Tremblant

Later in my career I developed a more pragmatic approach. While outcomes or results are always attractive, they are at the same time difficult to handle emotionally, because they are basically out of your own control. You never know if someone on the line is stronger and you can’t do anything about it if they are. There are always a thousand ways for a race to pan out and it is impossible to predict the actions of others, the weather etc. Instead I shifted focus to the things I could control. If I executed my race strategy perfect and gave absolutely everything I had in me, feeling completely empty at the finish I would have succeed no matter the outcome. - Torbjorn Sindballe This quote is my favorite. It pretty much sums up my race this year. Here are my quick thoughts on the race. The venue was absolutely fantastic! I drove the bike course the day before the race and I was really excited for the challenging terrain. I thought the hills would really split things up and keep things honest. Unfortunately, that was not the case. There were some sections that were really tight. This caused things to bunch up and it seemed like there were not enough officials. I went out on my bike to preview the run course later in the day on Saturday. I was equally encouraged by the hilly terrain. However, as I was riding the course I made a very lame move to jump a curb and ended up eating asphalt. This resulted in some bruises, road rash, and a broken hanger that was holding my rear derailleur. I was extremely lucky that I was going pretty slow at the time, so the damage was pretty minimal. I was even more fortunate that Mark Andrews from Trek was attending the event. He was able to fix my bike right away and I was able to get it into transition before the cutoff time. Race Day: Hanging in the RV with friends prior to the swim start I was able to get in the water and get a really good warm up in prior to my swim wave starting. It was a beach start this year. This enabled the vertically challenged, such as myself, to get about 2-3 strides in before doing few dolphin dives. I got about 2 strokes into the swim and felt myself being pushed under the water from behind. This is part of racing, but it's just not fun going under water at the beginning of a race. I attempted to relax and slowly moved my way out to the left. This strategy worked for me and I was able to get clear water. I was avoided anymore incidents the remainder of the swim. I came out of the water in 27:53, which put me in 31st place in my age group. It wasn't exactly where I was hoping to be, but I didn't waste anytime running the long transition to my bike. Once I got on my Trek Speed Concept 9.9, I was really excited to push the remainder of the race. I went right to work. I felt really good the entire ride. I worked really hard and had my highest power output in a race since last year's 70.3 World Championship in Vegas. The only negatives of the bike segment was seeing several large packs form on the highway section and then seeing things bunch up when the coned off sections became to tight heading back towards transition. The course itself was beautiful and very challenging. I knew I was racing against some really good runners, so I just tried to ride my own race. I pushed all the way until T2 and managed to come off the bike 1st in my age group with a 2:15:03 split. My 2nd transition was a little sloppy and I lost 2 places before I hit the run. I could see my competition in front of me, but I just could not bridge up. My quads were feeling the fatigue of the bike. I knew I had to find my own rhythm or I would risk blowing up. I ran the hilly course as well as I could. However, I was losing ground on the runners ahead of me and getting run down from one behind. I had fueled really well during the bike and the first half of the run. I did need to grab some cola for the first time this year at mile 10 as I felt my energy levels starting to drop a bit. The simple sugars did the trick and I was able to pick up my pace a little bit as I headed for the village. I crossed the finish line with a 1:22:36 split. I was completely spent. I left everything I had on the course. Results: 4:10:44 4th M40-44 / 64th Overall