Athlete Race Recap From The Gold Coast Triathlon

Podium Training Systems athlete Danny Weiss at the Gold Coast Triathlon in Port Washington, New York this past weekend.  Danny is gearing up for USAT Age Group Nationals, and then the Toughman Half Iron triathlon.  Danny was kind enough to whip up a race report for us.......

I had a strong couple of weeks leading up to the race, with a couple of break-through track sessions. My coach, David, really enforced a solid down week leading up to the race (but with a good amount of pops of speed work), so I was feeling rested but also fast for the race.

Swim - Chaotic to say the least. There was a tremendous discrepancy in terms of the swim course. So much so that David (who was also racing with me and is in my age-group) suggested we step out of the mob till they figure it out. Great advice as I was getting a bit caught up in negative energy. I can't say that they ever came to a consensus on the swim course but eventually it was my waves time to start.  I am a strong swimmer and always get in the front of the pack for the start of the race. I did the same but was really unclear on exactly where to swim. I figured I would just follow the wave before me or perhaps another swimmer in my heat.  Gun goes off and I am feeling particularly strong. So much so that I take the lead in my wave which is great but also a bit disconcerting as I am not clear where to swim. In the end, I end up doing what it seems like everyone else is doing before me and exit the water in first place for my age-group.

T1 - I have been working on speeding this up, practicing it a bunch. I got my wetsuit off rather quickly, although I did have to sit down which I intend to do away with eventually.  I have also been working on keeping my shoes on the bike for a quick transition.  I exit the transition area and am on my bike.  Slip one foot in my shoe but than really struggle to get the other foot. David goes whizzing by me with "get moving."  I finally get it in, determine it was not too much wasted time and off I go.

A quick 11 mile bike ride.  In the past I have struggled with never getting my heart-rate down on these super sprints and being tapped out for the run, so I pushed on the bike but also allowed my HR to come down a bit. Within a few minutes I really felt great on bike, whizzing by lots of people and enjoying my brand new Cervelo P2!

Into T2 and I got a bit screwed up.  Normally I am able to get out of my shoes very easily, leaving them on the bike but misjudged the bike dismount this time. I end up with one foot still clicked in on the bike and the other one slipped out. I do a hobble to the bike rack with one bike shoe on and barefoot on the other side, feeling a bit foolish but not too worried. Quick T2. Grab my hat, race belt and slip on my shoes

I feel good on the run, not great but good. I tell myself that its only 3 miles and go for it. Very quickly my legs come around and I know I am having a good race. For me, it always comes down to the run. It seems to be all or nothing. I can either keep a nice pace or it feels like I am running through sludge. 1 mile becomes two and before I know it I am heading into the finish chute. Pick up my youngest Son as I go by and run across the finish line holding him.

I end up taking six minutes off my last years time...really really happy!

Place 4th in my age-group (last year I was 20th), missing 3rd by 18 seconds. I immediately start questioning where I could have picked up those seconds and start bumming myself out.  At some point I have to remind myself that I just took off a tremendous amount of time off last years results (well at least my wife reminds me as much),  I have improved significantly (thanks in no small part to David-  who won his age-group by the way) and celebrate what I have just done...which I do with a massive breakfast..A nice way to spend fathers day.

 

 

Thanks, Danny!  Taking six minutes off your sprint triathlon time is massive.  Proof that the hard work you're putting into your season is really paying off.  Congrats!

Improving Your Bike To Run Efficiency

It's June, and as the triathlon season is kicking into high gear some of us are getting into race specific workouts.  Check out my USA Triathlon article - on the USAT Multipsport Zone site - on how to Improve Bike To Run Efficiency With A Brick Workout.

This is my take on how to integrate a "better" brick workout into your race specific training to help improve your bike to run adaptation.   

Triathlon Is Not A Diet

Not long ago I was invited to speak to a triathlon club in Manhattan.  As a USA Triathlon coach, the goal was to address athletes – the majority being first-time triathletes – and discuss training, planning, nutrition, and entertain some Q&A at the end.

What fascinated me the most was that during the planning, training, and race buildup and taper topics the questions were minimal.  However, when we got to the nutrition section of my presentation the questions were numerous and steady.

What kicked off the influx of questions?  My comment: “triathlon is not a diet”.   Most of the athletes in attendance were accustomed to reading (in one of a myriad of magazines) about athletes “getting lean” and achieving “race weight”.  Now, I’m guilty of this myself in years past – and said as much to those in attendance.  I’ve raced at too light a weight in the past and paid for it on the run. 

What I stressed is that you need to fuel your body.  You can’t cut carbs.  You have to eat not only to fuel your body, but also to replenish the fuel you’ve used and replace glycogen and calories that your body has burned and needs to replenish its energy stores and allow you to recover properly. 

It was a great discussion.  And I think the point was made that in order to perform at your highest possible level, and reduce the rise of hurting yourself, proper nutrition is key.

Not long after I was chatting with a prospective athlete.  He was interested in engaging in one-on-one coaching and had some specific goals he wanted to achieve.  At one point in the conversation he explained how he was cutting out carbs from his diet in order to get into race-fit shape.  I asked him why, and the response was typical.  “I need to get lean for the season.”  I explained that if he dutifully did the workouts that I would be prescribing, that he’d be burning calories and adding lean muscle mass over time. 

I then proceeded to tell him that, on the flip-side of the coin, running five or six miles in the morning doesn’t require a carbo-load the night before or eating a huge breakfast afterward.  Nominal workouts of an hour or so don’t require you to eat a bunch of race nutrition (gels, bars, etc.) before or after either. It is the higher intensity and/or longer workouts that require that type of nutrition as well as pre/post training fuel.

The other interesting factoid that I used for both the beginner triathletes as well as the individual I just mentioned was, depending on the individual, it “could” be possible to gain weight by the end of the season.  People often forget that muscle weighs more than fat.  And by adding lean muscle mass, while losing fat, you could very well gain a few pounds yet look fit and healthy.

Now, I’m not a doctor or nutritionist.  But I do know what proper fueling during a properly periodized triathlon training program should look like.  It still amazes me to hear people talk about dieting during the last month of their training as they prepare for the target, or “A”, race in order to lose a few pounds.  They’re doing nothing but jeopardizing their chances for success.

Don't be afraid of the scale!  Trust in your coach.  Trust in the training he or she prescribes.

A Weekend Of "Extreme" Cross Training

This past Memorial Day weekend I was in Colorado Springs working with my coaching mentor.  He's a Level 3 USAT coach and has been a wealth of knowledge for me as I progress up the coaching ranks.  I'm in constant contact with him and the time I spend working with him is invaluable.  A weekend of coaching and training was just what I needed.

It was a great 4-day weekend for my wife, JL, and I.  Amazing running and riding.  Great food.  Stunning outdoor atmosphere and views.  The takeaways for me, however, were the lessons learned as an athlete – and how these lessons will impact my personal training as well as the training of my athletes.  There is much to cover, but I'll try to keep this short and highlight the primary events that resonate from the weekend.

The Bike

We had two serious mountain bike training rides while I was in Colorado Springs.  Living on the east coast, I now understand that what I used to think was mountain biking is really "trail riding".  (No offense to any of my friends that mountain bike here on the east coast).

Damn.

The technical skills that can be gained are immeasurable.  I’ve never worked that hard to control my bike.  Ever.  I have to admit that when I got back to the east coast and went out for a ride on my TT bike…..well…..I was never so comfortable throwing that rig around corners at speed.  I didn’t once think about taking a quick turn, or navigating around potholes or gravel.  My confidence in being able to control my rig was completely boosted.

Additionally, the effort involved and required is amazing.  Two hours on a road bike can yield anywhere up to 40 miles for a training ride.  Two hours on the mountain bike up near Ramparts Reservoir?  12 miles.  Huge aerobic workout (especially at 9,000 feet of altitude).  I almost can’t wait for the off-season to get here so I can mountain bike more.  And have I mentioned the technical skills required?  Let's just say that I dug in, on more than one occasion, like Wile E.Coyote .  My new nickname may or may not be “Digger Dave.”

The climbing while we rode was amazing.  There’s nothing like mountain biking to work on your climbing skills.  I've never been so happy to be riding a triple crank-set than this past weekend.  As mentioned, we covered 12 miles on our Friday ride.  In those 12 miles we climbed 2,500 feet.  I was shattered.  Well, it's tough to say if I was shattered from the climbing or the aforementioned crashing like a cartoon character.

Those of you who do serious mountain biking are well aware of the benefits (and pure enjoyment) of getting a little dirty while you ride.  Those of you who aren’t –this is something to really consider.  The gains in technical ability and climbing strength are huge.  The “hills” back east seemed easy in comparison.  That’s not to say they didn't require effort, but they certainly seemed much more manageable.

The Incline

If any of you have been to Colorado Springs, you know what The Incline is.  One mile of hill work - at an average grade of 41% (and a maximum grade of 68%).  There are people that do this climb (and then run down the 2.5 mile trail back to the parking lot) on an almost daily basis.  The benefit of this workout was obvious as soon as I went on my first run back on the east coast, the hilly sections didn’t seem so bad.  At all.  In comparison, they were speed-bumps.

Hill-work.  We all know it’s important, and, just like speed-work this needs to be included regularly in a workout plan.  I realize this is completely obvious, but running The Incline made me realize how much more I need to add hill-work into my (and my athletes’) plans.

At the top of the incline, my coaching mentor immediately asked me the question: Why, if his PE (perceived effort) was the same, was his heart rate 10 beats lower than it should have been?

I had the answer, but was slow to get it out due to being exhausted and trying to suck in oxygen at 9,000 feet.

What do you think the answer is? Would love to your thoughts on this in the comments below.

An Unprecedented First Race Of The Season

It's been a while since I've raced.  The last triathlon I raced was back in October, and was my only race of 2011 due to injury.  I had a good day that fall weekend, and was excited to get back to racing in 2012.  Lots of friends and acquaintances had already banked a race or two in their files this year and I needed to get out test my fitness and gauge how my season was going to line up.

This wasn't a big race, mind you.  A local sprint.  But a great event that's been held for 20-plus years in Harriman State Park in New York.  Hills, hills, and more hills on the bike.  I'd raced some of these events in the past, and had some great Age-Group wins.  Due to a few changes to the bike course (now longer by four miles) I really didn't know what to expect from this race.  I'd been training well, and was feeling fit, so I thought at least I might have a good AG placing.

There were three waves at the start - and I was in wave two.  We started out on the swim and I really felt good.  Was moving well and when I hit T1 I knew I was in a good position to go into the bike.

Now, I have to admit that the race organizers made a few interesting decisions that impacted race strategy.  First, all caps were the same color - regardless of wave.  Second, waves were by bib number and not age grouping.  And third, body marking did not include an age designation on your calf.  All of these added up to make it very difficult to gauge where you were on the course in relation to others.  I suppose, if you verified the race number on someones bike you could determine what wave they were in, but it was very difficult to determine where you were positioned in relation to overall leaders or those in your age group.  There was also a Duathlon aspect to this event, and with no distinction between the two events it added more confusion out on the course in regards to your overall position.

So, onto the bike.  And the hills.  Cut to heading into the turnaround section and I'm keeping contact with two athletes in front of me who I think, at the time, are the only two in front of me.  That's quickly dispelled by seeing someone tearing down the other direction after the turnaround.  No worries, I'm still in a better position than I anticipated.  Making the turn provided the fortunate opportunity to take advantage of some rolling downhill sections and I tried to make up some time.  About 2 miles from the final turn towards the transition area an ambulance came past and I soon rolled by one of the competitors ahead of me that had crashed badly.  The roads weren't in the best of conditions and I can only imagine what happened.  A quick glance showed road-rash all down the right side of his upper body. 

A long slog uphill for a few miles back to T2.  I came in, had a pretty nice transition, and was headed out.  For some reason one of the folks ahead of me wasn't that far off and looked to be moving slowly on the run.  I gathered him in after a few minutes, but still had no idea if he was a Duathlete, in my wave, or what age group.  As I approached a turnaround point on the run - which wasn't feeling good at all by the way - I saw that there were three athletes ahead of me.  I made an assumption about one of them (the cycling jersey he was wearing, perhaps) being in the Duathlon, but the other two I had no idea what wave they were in.  Looking at their bib numbers didn't seem to register with me at the time as I was concentrating on the pain in my legs.

I couldn't pull any close to runners ahead of me and a few glances behind showed that I had put some distance on the person behind me.  All clear.  I came to the final stretch, finally felt my legs come around, and finished strong.  Now it was time to wait and see how I placed.  Worst case it was a third or fourth overall - which would be a very sweet result. 

Come to find that I'd been chasing people in wave one ahead of me.  I had three minutes in hand due to the wave offset - guess I should have checked the bib numbers.  And, the individual who was first across the line apparently cut the bike course short via an early, wrong, turn and he was removed from the results.

When they announced the overall mens winner I was shocked to hear my name called.  When I went up to accept the plaque I had to ask "….are you sure?  There were a couple guys ahead of me!"  They said yes, and still I asked "….but really?  I mean, you're sure?!"  Laughter ensued and in a stunned daze walked off to some applause and well wishes.

A crazy, surreal, finish to my morning - and while it involved a couple unfortunate incidents (a crash and a disqualification) I am still pretty damn excited over the result.