A Ride, a Run, and an Opinion

Seeing as my knee has been feeling better (thankfully) I was signed up for Grete's Great Gallop 1/2 Marathon - a race in New York's Central Park put on by the New York Road Runners.  I was pretty excited to race this after almost an entire summer off of racing and competing.  My running in the week leading up was good, and I threw in a tempo run on Tuesday to see how my pace and endurance was.

It was terrible.

My heart rate was through the roof, and I was going 30 seconds slower than I was during tempo runs in July.  It was quite demoralizing.  Not that I should have expected miracles to occur, but I thought I would have been in a better place than this. 

Saturday morning arrived, and my wife JL  (also running the 1/2) and I were mustering around the house getting ready for the race.  JL has been having some IT band issues, and long story short she wasn't up for race.  As I had resigned myself to using this as a training run instead of a full-on race, I had no problem bagging it and staying at home.  I figured I'd run on Sunday (today) and get a good ride in the books instead of running on Saturday (yesterday). 

Great ride.  Weather was perfect: cool, slightly overcast, and low humidity after a week of tremendous amounts of rain in the New York City area.  My road bike and I really enjoyed the morning (my TT rig is in mothballs for the off-season).  On the home stretch, about 5 miles from my house, I saw a guy walking his bike on the sidewalk.  I slowed down and asked if he was okay.  He said yeah, but his rear tire was flat.  I stopped and asked if he needed a tube or anything.  He waffled a bit, explained that he thought he damaged the valve at home pumping up his tires, and that he was fine and only had 3 or so miles to go before he was home.  He didn't have a spare tube and was fine walking.

I decided that the right thing to do was to up my karma ante for the fall.  I got of my bike and told him to get the rear wheel off.  As I gave him a once-over while we introduced ourselves I noticed that, while he was wearing bike shorts, he was wearing a cotton t-shirt, running shoes, and had flat pedals with toe straps.  It was a decent Specialized road bike, but he was most likely new to the whole cycling thing.  No problem.  5 minutes later I had burned a tube and a CO2 cartridge, but he was up and running and on his way.  Come to find he's the village Judge for my little hamlet.  Hopefully he remembers my name if I ever get into a spot of trouble.

Anyway, Sunday (today) came and I got in a good run.  Only 8 miles on the trails, but I didn't feel like I needed to do any more than that.  I was out for just under an hour and it was great looping through the Leatherstocking Trail section near my house.   The Paine to Pain trail 1/2 Marathon was being held today - I ran it last year, but again, no more racing for me this year - and as I'm familiar with the course it was fun to see all the marking and signage up ready for the athletes.

A nice hot shower later (again, cool temps today) and I did some bike maintenance: new tires on my road bike, and I swapped cleats from JLs' old road bike shoes to her new ones.  A busy, busy weekend!

Oh, and an opinion

This past week, in two days time, I experienced not only an idiot driver on my morning ride but also an idiot cyclist while on the way to work. The idiot driver, while acknowledging that he saw me, felt it prudent to do a u-turn in the road requiring me to lock up my brakes to avoid hitting his car.  At the light that he was then stopped at I asked him if he even saw me (yeah, I got a little lippy).  He said "...yeah, there was plenty of room....shut the f*** up".  Okay, thanks pal - have a nice day!  And to make matters more interesting there was a village police cruiser right behind me during this whole thing.  Clearly not interested in the illegal u-turn or the fact that there was almost an accident.

The next day on the way to work I was crossing the road (with everyone else in downtown Manhattan) outside of Grand Central Terminal.  We had the right of way, and the walk sign was lit.  Yelling to the left of me caused me to pause, as a cyclist in a full racing kit comes weaving through the crowd of people yelling at us to stay out of the way.  Excuse me?  Really? 

In the battle between cyclists and car owners, EVERYONE needs to play nice.  It's unfortunate that the idiots on both sides of the argument make it difficult to find a happy, medium, ground.

Toughman Half Iron - Recap from the Bike Course

As my knee injury earlier this summer caused me to pull out of my last few races this year, I decided to help my friend Rich and I worked the bike course for the Toughman Half Iron triathlon this past Sunday.  I've know Rich for a number of years, and train with his tri club.  Rich is also the race director of the Toughman triathlon, and the mastermind behind it's inception 3 years ago.

It was a little tough mentally on Saturday as we were out marking the bike course - putting up signage and chalk-painting the roads.  I had a few moments where I would think back to last year (when I raced the Toughman) and would think that I should be home resting and hydrating.  But, alas, not this year.

So, Sunday morning my wife JL and I headed out early to our section of the bike course and awaited the other volunteers so that I could assign duties and positions along our section of the bike course.  It was really a perfect day for racing.   Cool.  Overcast.  Dry.  Really just about idyllic conditions.  My volunteers started to arrive and once we were all gathered I went over the key points that were covered in the race captains meeting the previous day: What corners were going to be troublesome, where traffic was going to be an issue, and what corners we would have police assistance. 

I sent everyone on their way, and JL and I waited with another volunteer at our section for the race to get underway.  We were located at about the 24-25 mile mark of the bike course.  I had a sheet of the estimated arrival times for the leaders, both overall and for the subsequent waves, and as the time for the estimated arrival of the leaders came upon us, we split up and headed to our stations. 

Here came the leaders.  Damn….these guys were really moving.  The leader came by and I barely saw him as I stopped cars from coming out of a parking area and waved him through.  He was just a blur with the sound of his disk wheel announcing his arrival.  The gent in 2nd place at the time came through a few minutes later and was really dropping the hammer as well.  Ah, to hold a Pro Card and to be able to devote more time to training!

Then, things got nutty.  As the bulk of the athletes came through it was an hour-plus of constant activity.  Cars and traffic (not everyone as understanding as I would have liked) were getting thick.  We were stationed just outside a popular deli - a favorite oasis for us on long rides.  But also apparently a favorite early Sunday morning stop for coffee and a New York Times.  When I said that people weren't always as understanding as I would have preferred, I wasn't kidding.  A few people, when I asked if they could park across the street instead of in the parking area directly in front to avoid delays and for the safety of the athletes, looked at me as if I'd asked them to chop off one of their hands.  Upon their departure they were quick to spin their tires and spit gravel up as they departed to show what a massive inconvenience the extra 2 minutes had cost them.  No matter.  The primary objective was the safety of the athletes and that's what drove every action that morning.

In the end, even circling our section of the course behind the sag-wagon to pick up signs was fun.  We got back to the race site and were able to see some of our friends who had raced (a couple nice finishes, including a first place AG win for my good friend K.C.) and had a chat with our friend Rich - who finally looked much more relaxed as his 3rd year of Toughman was shaping up to the biggest and best so far.

Bottom line: If you're an athlete and you compete in running, triathlons, bike races, whatever…..you need to volunteer for some local races.  Not just for the fact that it's good to pay back the effort that others have put in so that we can race safely, but for the fact that it's actually a fun and rewarding experience.  I can't tell you how many athletes, while zipping by at 20+ mph would give a quick "thanks" as they went by.  Even one of the top 10 through my zone gave me a thumbs up as he screamed past.  It's important to realize that races of any size can't go on without volunteers.

A final congrats to my friend Rich.  The Westchester Toughman was a great success, again. 

Helping a Brother Out (Sub-plot: Scoring Some Long Run Karma)

We were just getting ready to head out of town for the Labor Day weekend - my wife was out running a couple of last minute errands and I was, well, sitting around doing pretty much nothing.  I ran early with the usual crew (thankfully, the knee is feeling pretty good, so I'm thinking I'm back in the saddle so to speak) and was just relaxing.

When JL (my wife) got home, she said that there's a guy in running gear on the side  of the main road a few blocks away.  He's on his mobile phone and had his thumb out while he was running trying to hitch a ride. 

JL said that she stopped and asked him if he was okay....  His response was that he was a pilot, staying a couple of towns away, and got a call that he was to depart earlier than anticipated.  He had about 5 miles to go to get back to his hotel and he was trying to get a cab or have the hotel send a shuttle.  JL wasn't 100% comfortable just picking him up and giving him a lift by herself (smart girl) and he said he understood.  She told him that she'd tell me what was going on.

I grabbed my keys, jumped in the car, and found him about a mile further on.  He was really moving, He had his cell phone to his ear (still trying to arrange a car or pickup) and looked to be almost in full stride.  I honked, pulled over, and when I looked in the rear view mirror the look of relief on his face was apparent.

The car must have looked like a safe haven for him.  He was wearing tri-shorts, Fuel Belt and a tri top.  Our car has USA Triathlon stickers and Giant Bikes stickers in the back window, and my time trial bike was mounted on the bike rack for our weekend away.

He was very thankful, but was apprehensive of getting in the car as he was pretty sweaty, (it was pretty humid).  I told him to just jump in and not worry about it, this car has seen much worse on race weekends.  Turns out Alex is a pilot for private clients, and the client du jour was looking to leave about 3 hours earlier that they originally planned. He was in a jam and as he usually doesn't stay down this far away from the Westchester County airport he didn't know the area well enough to know cab companies, etc. 

He was 6 miles into a 12 mile run - training for Ironman 70.3 Branson - and with his flight schedule (7 days on, 7 days off) he does what he can while on the road.   He asked about a couple local races - including the Toughman Half Iron triathlon.  As my friend Rich is the race director for this race I gave him my best marketing pitch for him to do it next year.

Anyway, I got him to the hotel as quickly as possible.  Nothing really exciting about this morning except that it made me remember that it's important to give a little good karma back when you can.

Triathlon Swimming Techniques - Redux

Since my recent post on triathlon swimming versus competitive swimming, I figured I'd be remiss if I didn't do some sort of non-scientific experiment, and actually see if I could employ some of the triathlon specific techniques into my next pool workout.  I would have toyed around with things this past Friday during my open water swim but, due to the ridiculous amount of jellyfish bobbing around, changing my stroke wasn't the first thing on my mind.

I'll again preface this with the statement that I'm not an expert, and that any suggestions here are my own - my own opinions - and you should do your own research, etc. blah-blah-blah.....

Well, it was an interesting swim workout on Sunday.  Typical warm-up, some stroke drills, normal stuff.  During a pull set of 200's I started to think about the front quadrant discussion and how I wasn't , most likely, doing that.  I also thought about (as I watched myself do it) the "S" stroke and how most swimmers now don't utilize that technique.  

So I figured, what the hell.  I did the next few 200's focusing on front quadrant technique, no "S" stroke, and keeping my stroke long and extended.  

I have to admit, it was difficult at first.  I was fighting muscle memory and habit.  I had to work harder to keep my stroke even and consistent.  All of which I understood, but it wasn't pleasant.  Eventually, however, I started to get the hang of things and sort of got into a groove.

I felt my forward momentum become more constant - there were no gaps in the force being applied and subsequently there were no gaps in the drive forward.  My stroke began immediately upon my hand entering the water, whereas with an S stroke it seemed as if there was a slight delay.  That could be imagined, but the feeling of forward momentum was much more consistent here.

To make matters more interesting (or worse), I checked my stroke count.  I swear it was 1 to 2 strokes less per length than my normal stroke count (on a typical 200 with standard effort).

Again, I'm not saying that this is a full-on scientific breakthrough, but I'll certainly be spending my next handful of pool workouts focusing on changing some stroke techniques.  

Triathlon Swimming Techniques - A Discussion

Let me first state, as clearly as possible, that I'm by no means an expert in triathlon training.  All the opinions expressed in this mighty blog are mine (as well as my friend Steve's) and those of the websites referenced.  I'm sure that, had I dug deeper, I could have found differing opinions to varying degrees and I urge everyone to research, and train, with the methods that best suit them.

A month or so ago (when I was still racing and my season hadn't yet gone down the tubes), I was standing around after a triathlon and struck up a conversation with a swimmer from a relay team.  He (Steve) did the swim leg for a friend of mine who runs and trains with the Sound Shore Runners and Multisport Club.  (Great club, by the way - it's where my wife and I got our start in competitive running and triathlons).  Anyway, it was post-race and we were talking about how we both swam in college and we ventured onto the topic of the differences between competitive swimming, and swimming for triathlons.

I mentioned that I had trouble with implementing a lot of the 'best practices' for triathlon swimming as I have the muscle memory from my days (years) of age group, high school, and college swimming.  By best practices for triathlons, I mean:

Streamlined body position: Looking down, not forward.  Rotation of shoulders is key in both, but keeping shoulders high and 'out of the water' isn't necessarily the best approach for triathlons (more on that below).

Front quadrant stroke technique:  Where the current technique is to always have one hand / arm in front of our body when swimming, I was brought up on the "S" stroke with high elbows.  While we did catch-up drills to keep our stroke as even and balanced as possible, the words "front quadrant" didn't exist back in the 80's (at least where I grew up).  As I understand it the "S" stroke isn't what most great swimmers practice anymore.

You can see in the above photo progression how the left arm stroke doesn't begin until the right arm has entered the water.  Hence the term "Front Quadrant" stroke technique.

We discussed how, back in college, the goal was to look forward, with the waterline breaking on your forehead and your shoulders and back as far out of the water as you could get them.  This cut down on drag and made you faster.  It also burns energy.  In a triathlon, you don't want to burn up all your mojo on the swim leg.  Here, focusing on torso rotation during your stroke is key to keeping drag to a minimum.

You can clearly see the difference in the head position of the competitive swimmer (above) and the triathlete (below)

Breathing is also (or can be) a little different.  In a pool, you can turn your head just a little bit - sometimes with half of your face and mouth still under water - and sneak a breath in the pocket of air that is formed behind your wake as you move forward. Minimal exertion of energy again being the point.  In open water, waves (and in some cases surf) may not make sneaking a breath like this possible.

None of this is earth-shattering news.  But it was great to talk with someone who grew up with the same training techniques as I did and to discuss how they differed from some of the triathlon swim training tips that are on the web and are taught, rightly so, by numerous coaches.

Steve and I went back to discussing the S Stroke and he started to mention a book written by James E. "Doc" Counsilman called The Science of Swiming

This book was written in the late 60's, and the techniques and methods were still the de rigueur in the 80's when I was in high school.  Apparently they are still highly regarded now.  While I realize that there are many differing techniques that are taught currently, a lot of the basics are still the same.  It was amazing to me that this book is still looked upon as a benchmark for swimming technique, training, and theory.

Okay, enough walking down memory lane.  Tomorrow morning is open water swim day with the Westchester Tri Club.  I'll try to disregard all my old swimming habits.