Lubbock/Twenty-12 Talent ID was a good experience but the race was quickly over for me. I took a heel in the adam’s apple at the first buoy/250m. That took the breath out of me and I couldn’t recover aerobically. I came out of the water in the last group which was caught by the leaders and lapped on the loop; disqualifying us. Lame, but it happens.
Right now I’m getting ready for the ‘heart of the valley’ triathlon outside of Corvallis, OR. Its a AA Sports race so there should be a good number of competitors. The swim is an indoor swim so I should be able to avoid another heel. For this race I get to go back to the time trial back and dump the draft legal rules. I’m looking forward to it.
TIme is dwindling till I board the plane to Lubbock and I’m getting really excited. With it being a ITU style race I’m preparing my standard road bike for the race with a set of Profile Designs T2+ DL which is a ITU spec aero bar. What differs between a standard aero bar and a ITU draft legal aerobar is the lenght of the extensions. As you can see in the picture the bars are much shorter than you would normally see. Also the two extensions have to be connected with a solid piece. In this race they are allowing arm rests; I don’t know if this is always the case.
Another part I recently got is more of an accessory. Being that I’m flying from Portland to Lubbock I needed to get a airplane worthy bike case. After looking around I chose the Thule 699 Round Trip. I ordered it from OneTri.com which I have had great dealings with. They are offering free shipping and on such a large package it was a deal. To my door the case was $328. Not cheap but it looks like a quality piece. Ill write a review up once I have a chance to see it in action.
In my next update Ill go over what I have been able to learn about the Lubbock course using maps, Google earth and a few other tricks.
Got an email from USAT about the upcoming USAT 2012 Talent ID Tri on April 18th. Its right after the Collegiate national triathlon. Its on April 18th so I have about 9 weeks to get ready for the race. Its a sprint Tri so its perfect for me. Im really stoked. Can’t wait!
Well I am starting to set my sights on races for this coming season. I know for sure that I will be attending the first National Sprint Triathlon Championship at Pacific Grove. I have looked at the course records and I have no doubt that I will break them. I’m not trying to be cocky but rather that I am confident that my determination and training preparation will render all those who oppose null and void :). Depending on my financial situation I will also attend the Age Group Nationals which are being hosted on the opposite side of the country.
Now that Im pumped up Ill speak some honest truth. My training has hit a few plateaus this winter. Im going to let you in on a few things that I have found to work wonders on breaking them. Ill break it down by sport. Please consult a physician before attempting any workouts I am not a training professional
Swimming- I have found that sets of very fast 25yd Butterfly has really done wonders for my power in the pool. I will say that after 10 or even 20 lengths of butterfly I am dying but the next workout after a recovery I find that my freestyle speed is much easier to maintain. Give it a try.
Cycling- Most people say hill sets will really help break any plateau. The problem I see with this is that you end up pushing your mental /strenght barriers as well physical ones. Another option is very easy. Go out and do a ride for fun. Seriously, hop on the bike and just go somewhere. Enjoy the sights and pick a destination that you want to go to. I find that biking to and from a coffee shop or even McDonalds across town does wonders. You remember why you started biking in the first place.
Running- Sadly this is the opposite of my biking advice. I have found, thus far, that only intensive asymetrical training really breaks you through a lull. I have been experimenting with race pace intervals in my 70% HR max runs. Its killer but I’ve found that personally slow runs only make the situation worse. Gotta pay to play.
Good luck to everyone training. Except if you are going to Pacific Grove in September
With seven weeks to go till the first time trial of the year, a random sinus infection is slowing me down. Nevertheless, training continues. The time trial is a 20k distance which is what you would find in a regulation sprint triathlon. It will be a very quick race with the winners clocking in the 26-27min range. Ill begin preparing the bike and test riding the course soon.
Considering how early this race is in the year I won’t be tapering too much because I don’t want to lose any training momentum that I’ve gained thus far. With the race being hardly 30 minutes there really isn’t a reason to slow down anyways. Well, besides that I just need to get a new pair of running shoes. My Brooks with probably 500+ miles are dead.
It snowed quite a lot here for the last few days. Enough that I have been stuck bumming rides to the gym from people with appropriately prepared cars. I have been averaging around 40 miles of running a week since my last post. I haven’t spent much time in the pool but I have been using the rowing machine to keep that aspect of my training alive. I am starting to look at the calender for next year. I will post a list of my possible appearances soon. I am certain though that I will be beginning the season with the Jack Frost Time Trial on February 22nd. Its a 20k bike so it should be a decent performance test. I am hoping for a time in the 27 minute range but the course can get very windy.
We the northwest is showing its colors; grey and other shades of gray. So for all intensive purposes my training has moved almost completely indoors. I am going to still try and get out on the bike from time to time but the time involved with cleaning up after a wet weather ride is no small matter. Running wise I only have two good pairs of shoes and they dont dry fast enough!
I went for my first swim since Treasure Island tonight. I was very suprised at how I did. Of the three sports I believe I can cut the most time from my races with my swimming. Being my strong sport in highschool, I should be able to leverage my previous talent with a intensive training program. I just have to get back to my previous glory :)
The triathlon gift guide is still underwork but you can see our mess still If there are any products you have been eyeing but dont know much about, post a comment and Ill do my best to help you out! Have a great one everybody.
Well I was offered a discount sponsorship by Fluid Recovery Nutrition. So now I have a hook-up for my recovery drink needs. Training is going well. A couple days ago I was able to get 9 miles in an hour flat. Not too shabby. I have also been putting in a decent amount of time in on the bike. My ribs are recovering decently. I don’t expect to be out of the pool much longer. Work on the gift guide is almost complete so keep your eyes open! As usual let me know if you have any requests for explanations, reviews, or write ups! I love new material!
Well, now that that is out of the way, we can move on. I have been continuing my running and bike training while I let my ribs heal. Swimming is still out of the question but hopefully not for much longer. The distances and lengths of my workouts have increased as I have decided to fore go competing in only sprint races. After my showing at Treasure Island I don’t see any reason why I cannot be extremely competitive in the Olympic distance races by the end of the off season. Back to work
Well after that run yesterday my rib injury has really started to flare up. I tried to swim yesterday but was met with more pain than I prefer to feel. In reality, outside of leg strength training, I took most of the day off and just finished chores and errands that needed to be done. Today its cold and wet outside again so I’m going to hit the gym for a nice long bike/run brick. Slow2Pro.com is also working on a triathlete’s christmas list/ gift guide so keep your eyes peeled if you have a special someone you need to be shopping for! Thank you to everyone for following me!
I am not a training professional