People in Boulder are Fast

On Father’s Day I participated in the Boulder Sprint Triathlon - 0.5 mile swim, 17.2 mile bike, and 3.1 mile run.  I say participated rather than raced, because after a few miles on the bike I really wasn’t racing for a position.  This was a marked contrast to my previous triathlon in Auburn.  I was out of the water in a good time, but I went backwards on the bike and run.  I am satisfied with my splits and overall time, so I can only conclude that people in Boulder are FAST.  My brother also offered a unique perspective, “enjoy your last year in the fastest age group for triathletes.  Remember, old triathletes don’t retire, they move on to Ironman.”

I got into Denver on Friday night and stayed with my employer and the owner of the company, Terry.  On Saturday I rented a bike from Boulder Bikesmith, and then we went to Boulder Reservoir to check in and do a pre race workout.  It is amazing how many bike shops there are in Boulder.  A City of about 100,000 has around 19 bike shops!  Some cities that size in Northern California only have one bike shop.  I rented a Giant Defy.  It was a nice bike, and my only complaint is that it didn’t have aerobars.  After our workout, we took the kids to Subway for lunch and hung out at the community pool all afternoon.  After a late afternoon nap, we had a great dinner with grilled chicken and several types of pasta salads.

We were up early on race morning to be at the venue around 6 am.  The Boulder Reservoir is a nice venue for triathlons with great views of the mountains; easy access to rolling bike and run routes; and lots of room for parking, transition racks, spectating, and vendor tents.  The racks were organized by number, and I selected a position with good visibility near the swim in and run out.  This event was huge, and quite possibly the largest triathlon that I have participated in.  There were 134 finishers in my age group, over 600 males, and about 1,200 finishers total.  They started the event in a wave format with eleven waves, each starting 5 minutes apart.  I was the third wave.  Terry started 30 minutes after me.

As I stood on the beach watching the first wave once again I witnessed a large group of swimmers going off course.  The course was a rectangle, and they started out cutting the corner and turned the course into a triangle.  Eventually they figured out their mistake and had to go back to the buoy they skipped. There is an interesting article and quotes in the Boulder paper.  I guess they didn’t pay attention to my last post.

My swim was good.  I repeatedly bumped into people that were swimming towards the wrong buoys.  The most interesting part came on the inbound leg, when the pack I was in suddenly encountered several swimmers from the first wave who were bobbing along.  We were swerving all over the place trying to avoid them.  I came out of the water feeling fresh for the run to T1 in 14th place in my age group.  My swim split was 12:09 with an average pace of 1:22/100 yards.

I easily found my spot in T1 and I was off on the bike.  The bike course was rolling through the countryside east of Boulder.  I really missed not having aerobars on this course.  I got passed by a lot of people in my age group on the bike.  I had the 59th fastest bike split in my age group with at time of 51:14 and an average speed of 20.1 mph.

I flew through T2 and started the run.  The run was an out and back on the dirt road that runs along the reservoir levee.  I tried to gradually increase my pace during the run and basically sprinted the last quarter mile.  I finished the event feeling like I might vomit which reminds me of an article I read in Triathlete Magazine.  Several people in my age group passed me on the run, but not as many as on the bike.  My run split was 26:05 and my pace was 8:24 min/mile.

I ended up with a time of 1:33:33; 74 of 134 in my age group; 263 of 632 males.  Results are here.  Analyzing the results, I can see that my brother is correct – the 35-39 age group is fast.  In the 30-34 age group my time would be good for 37 of 84, and in the 40-44 age group my time would be good for 50 of 115.

Pictures are here by Action Sports International.

After I finished, I went to the Left Hand Brewing Company beer tent and slowly enjoyed a nice ale while I waited for Terry to finish.  His wave started 30 minutes after mine, so I had some time to relax and contemplate one of the many benefits of being a triathlete - beer at 9 am.


After Terry finished, we collected our gear, returned my bike, and went back to his house. We all ate a late breakfast together, spent some time relaxing, then left for the airport.  It was a very nice weekend.

Auburn Sprint Triathlon - May 22, 2011

Last Sunday was the Auburn Triathlon.  I wasn't sure if I was going to race until Wednesday. I am sure glad that I did, because the event was a lot of fun. The event was produced by former pro triathlete Brad Kearn; and his team did an amazing job.  The volunteers were excellent. They ran traffic control on the streets during the bike leg and did a great job keeping the riders safe.  This was a two transition area event, which can be problematic; but the organizers did a super job with the logisitics involved with two transitions. T2 was nicely setup and my run gear was safe overnight. Likewise, after the event my swim gear arrived from T1 safe and sound. I was also impressed with the post race food - Chipotle taco and mini Jamba Juice for athletes. Very cool!

I did the sprint distance event, 1k swim, 30k bike, and 7k run. They also had a half-iron distance, a mini tri, and a duathlon at the same time.  It was great having an event like this close to home.  Since T1 and T2 were at separate locations, I rode my bike up to T2 and setup my run gear on Saturday evening.  On race morning I parked my car at T2/finish, packed my swim gear into a small bag and rode my bike 7 miles to the start/T1.  It was mostly downhill, but actually was a very nice warmup.  Unfortunately, I did manage to lose my sunglasses between my car and T1.


The swim venue was very scenic and felt very remote even though it was close to town. It was tucked away in a finger of Folsom Lake at Rattlesnake Bar with large canyon walls looming above us. I can't say much about the swim that I haven't said before.  Once again, I continue to see swimmers swimming well off course.  I can't overemphasize the importance of proper sighting and a picking a good line. A good line and proper sighting can save you MINUTES and LOTS of energy. I am absolutely amazed by how many people I see swimming 50 to 100 yards off course. We work so hard on getting faster in the pool, but its wasted if we are not taking the shortest distance between the buoys. If I had three swim tips that I would give to triathletes they would be all related to staying on course:


1. Wear goggles that allow you to see. This one is tough for me because of my inner swim snob. I have to confess that I used to wear "socket rocket" goggles and looked down on swimmers that wore goggles that looked more like masks. In open water swimming you have to be able to see where you are headed and what's around you.  If that means that you have to wear a bigger goggle that is more "masklike," then so be it. Also, think about the tint on your goggles. There are all different colors of lenses so make sure you pick one that allows you to see the most. I used to utilize smoke lenses for really sunny events and clear for more overcast days or early mornings. Now I find myself exclusively using clear. The smoke ones cut the glare but they didn't allow me to see more because they were so dark.  Experiment to see what works for you, but I recommend a lighter tint.


2. Know the course.  There are usually two types of buoys - line buoys and turning buoys. Make sure you know which are which and if you are supposed to keep the buoys on your left or right side. Your goal here is to swim in a straight line between the turning buoys - DO NOT rely on the line buoys. Walk the shore and locate all the buoys. Get in the water and check the sight lines starting and finishing.  Swim out a ways and identify objects on the far shore that can aid in sighting from the start to the first corner buoy.  Similarly, swim backwards on the course for a few hundred yards and check the sight line as you head towards the swim finish. Using this information plan the quickest route around the buoys and think about how sharp you need to turn at each buoy. 45 degrees? 90 degrees? Keep in mind that the shortest route may require you to start all the way to one side of the starting chute


3. Sight regularly. Do NOT follow the kyaks or support craft and do NOT rely solely on other swimmers. If you prepared as I described in tip 2 above, then trust yourself. Support craft are there to help distressed swimmers, not guide you. It is true that they often position themselves to keep people from swimming off course, but they are usually well off the optimum line. Also, do not blindly follow a pack of swimmers. I'm sure everyone has heard the saying about the blind leading the blind; the same goes for open water swimming. I've seen an entire pack of swimmers head off for a line buoy, not realizing that it wasn't in a straight line with the turning buoy. While they were heading way off course, myself and a few others took the shorter line and gained an easy 25 to 50 yard advantage.  The essence is to sight enough to make sure you are always heading in the shortest direction. Its hard to explain how to sight. You really need to practice in the open water or in a pool with no lane lines. My technique is to take a quick peek as my head comes out or back in when I breathe. There are other ways. My point is to practice whatever method you choose and remember to do it in the race. When its really hard to see the buoys because of glare, splashing, and/or other swimmers don't be afraid of doing breaststroke for a few strokes until you are sure that you've accurately sighted the next buoy and plotted your course.  Be careful not to make a habit of it, but once or twice during the swim probably won't hurt you too much. Bottom line is that you need to be able to see the buoy to know that you are headed in the right direction.

Getting back to my race report, my swim felt pretty good. I got a good position at the start, I drafted when I could, and I didn't work that hard.  I came out of the water feeling fresh for the run to T1 and in 2nd place in my age group and 9th overall.

No problems in T1 and I was off on the bike. The first third of the bike was a big climb from the lake up to Auburn with a couple really steep switchbacks (800 feet of climbing in 6 miles). I didn't go easy but I didn't go all out.  I tried to save some energy so I could really go hard after the course flattened a bit.  Consequently, I did get passed by two people in my age group on the first third of the course. I remember the second guy going past and I tried to stay with him. I must've forgotten my climbing legs because I could not hang on to him. I feel like I really crushed the last two thirds of the bike course.  I was bombing down hills and made a few passes.  I had the 4th fastest bike split in my age group and 38th overall.

I flew through T2 and was off on the run.  The run was on the same roads and trails that I usually use for my weekend run. The course knowledge really helped me to pace.  The course was very scenic and had a nice view of the American River Canyon. It was a nice mix of trails, gravel road, and paved roads - all closed to traffic. I felt really good and only got passed by a couple of people who weren't in my age group. My run split was 4th in my age group and 46th overall.  I was pleasantly surprised by my 8:17 min/mile pace for the 7k.


After the event I went home, ate lunch, and changed clothes - one of the benefits of attending an event so close to home.  I also checked the results from last year and realized that my time would have put me in third in my age group last year.  Feeling a bit excited at that prospect, the boys and I headed back to the finish to check results and pick up my swim gear that they trucked up from T1.  I was a little disappointed when I found that finished 4th in my age group, just 1:30 out of a podium spot.  It's tough to keep in perspective that this is still a great result for me.  Total time of 2:04:07, 4th in age group, 26th overall.  Results are here.  Some pictures at Facchino Photography.

Granite Bay Triathlon 2010

I raced my last tri of the season one week ago on Sunday at TBF Racing's Granite Bay Triathlon. I had a lot of fun and overall I am pleased with result. My time (1:53:40) was a little over 11 minutes faster than last year, which I attribute to my brother's coaching (Eric Palmer Endurance Coaching).  I finished 10th of 26 in my age group, about 1.25 minutes behind 9th place; and 65th of 244 overall.

Overall results here.

Division results here.

I felt like I did a good job sighting during the swim, and really payed attention to the other people racing.  I cruised and true to form my swim split was very good (0:21:23). I was 2nd in my age group after the swim, and had the 20th fastest swim time. My swim time was 1.25 minutes slower than last year. I attribute it to two things:  Last year I went very hard on the swim, and the swim course was probably a bit short last year due to the low lake levels.  This year the lake level was much higher.

Out of the water and charging the beach

Once we started the bike, we were mixed up with the duathletes and it was very difficult to determine who was in your age group.  I don't feel like I worked very hard on the bike, but I still shaved almost 6 minutes off last year.  I had the 49th fastest bike split (0:41:41), and came off the bike 7th in my age group.

On the bike just out of T1, and putting on my gloves

It felt very hot on the run and yet again I struggled. I was over 7 minutes faster than last year with a run split of 0:50:36, but I still did not run faster than 10 minutes per mile. I was close, but yet again I could not break the 10 minute per mile barrier. My average pace was10 minutes and 7 seconds per mile.  Three more people from my age group passed me and I finished 10th in my age group.  I finished hard and gave it all I had on the day.

Baking in the heat, and trying to hold it together

A fun time, and a good result.  TBF never disappoints.

Xterra Lake Tahoe

Xterra Lake Tahoe

The surprisingly strong winds made for a very interesting swim.  Lake Tahoe looked more like the ocean than a lake.  By my untrained eye, the swells were in the three to four foot range.  You be the judge.

It was fun trying to body surf the swells during warm up.  Water temperature was comfortable, although the wind was a bit chilly.  They decided to cut the long course swim to one lap, I assume due to the hazardous conditions.  My voice was the lone "boo" amongst a chorus of cheers.  The swim was a bit frustrating, but wasn't that hard if you were a smart swimmer. The keys were to judge the wind/current and adjust the 1st and 3rd legs accordingly, sight effectively, and try to time your breaths so you were not breathing at the trough of the swells.  It was not a perfect swim for me, I still ended up breast stroking on two occasions to spit out some water or find the next buoy.  I was 9th overall on the beach, and 15th overall/2nd in age group after the long run to T1.  As has been typical for me this season, the swim was my fastest discipline in the race.

The bike course was both challenging and fun.  Here I am starting the bike course:

After the climb up Tunnel Creek Fire Road, the Flume Trail was a lot of fun. This section felt like a bit like an individual TT. I passed a couple people and got passed by a couple people, but mostly rode on my own as fast as I could.  I was feeling good until we started the climb out of Marlette Lake to the Tahoe Rim Trail.  I forgot that this is a tough climb.  The Tahoe Rim Trail continues to gain elevation until you reach the switchback downhill to Tunnel Creek Fire Road.  I bombed the downhills, especially Tunnel Creek Fire Road.  It felt good to rocket passed several people that had gone around me many miles before.  I entered T2 several seconds behind two others in my age group, and left T2 even with them.  Unfortunately, they ran away from me within the first quarter mile of the run.

The run course is pretty fun.  It is very technical with short rises, bridges, logs, turns, etc.  I ran about as fast as I could without blowing up.  I wasn't feeling too bad after the first lap, so I slowly started to increase my pace.  One positive to take away from my experience on the run is that my second lap was a few minutes faster than my first.

Here's the obligatory finish line photo:

A good result for me.  Swim time 18:50, bike 2:23:54, run 1:02:20, total 3:45:04  9th in my age group, 12 minutes behind 8th place.

Xterra Lake Tahoe Results

The Xterra season is over and I ended up 11th in the Western Region in my age group.

Xterra Standings

Thanks to my father in law for the pictures, and thanks to my brother for the coaching.

Team Interwest

Boulder 70.3

Team Interwest competed in the coed relay division of the Boulder 70.3 Triahtlon last weekend. Gwen swam, Terry cycled the bike leg, and I ran.

We picked up our packet on Saturday and attended the "mandatory" pre-race meeting. Approx 1288 starters! I got in a pre-race run, then we walked around Boulder. Pretty cool town. Lots of open space. Also, lots of people milling around town. Not sure if its' always like that, or if it was because of the race or the college starting soon.

We were up early on Sunday to be at the race venue and setup before transition closed at 6:20 am. Swim wave started at 7:10 am, and I didn't plan on starting the run until 11:00 am. Before the start we met Terry's coach, famous triathlete Simon Lessing. He was very gracious and gave me a run singlet with his coaching business logo to wear during the run. Very cool

Gwen had a good swim. She always makes it look so easy. We were worried about Terry on the bike as he is still recovering from a broken shoulder, and he suspects a torn meniscus in his knee. As it turned out, neither of these ailments bothered him in the ride.

I took a nap in the van while I waited for my turn. With about 15 minutes prior to Terry's anticipated finish, I took a seat in the transition area to wait. During this time, I was fortunate to witness an inspirational display of sportsmanship. As I sat in transition, Julie Dibbens was finishing her race with an 8 minute lead on the second place female pro. It took her an extraordinarily long time to finish the last mile. She finally entered the finishing chute; walking, shaking hands, giving high fives, signing autographs. She even stopped and gave an interview to the race announcer before she crossed the line. This went on for about 3 minutes. Finally, she explained to the crowd that prize money is paid to the first five female pros. According to Ironman rules, if a top 5 finisher time is more than 8% slower than the first place time, then they do not get paid. She was waiting to make sure that everyone that finished in the first 5 got paid. I was honored to witness this unselfish act.

Terry rolled into transition a few minutes later, about 3 hours 15 minutes after he started, and off I went. The run course was 99% on dirt roads. It was hot and there were no trees. I stuck to the plan of running 10 minute miles for the first half, then slowly ramping up the pace to finish as hard as I could. The race went according to my plan until around mile 8. Then my wheels fell off, and it was a real battle to finish. At that point I just couldn't make myself run anymore. For the remaining 4 to 5 miles I alternated walking and running. I wound up finishing in 2 hours 34 minutes. It was great to hear Terry and Gwen cheering loudly for me as I crossed the line!

Photos by the race organizer are available at:
Team Interwest Photos

Terry and his wife were gracious hosts, and I am truly thankful for all that they did for me while I was there. Thanks! It may be a long time before I run 13.1 miles in Boulder again (or not); but it would be fun to go back next year to do a whole triathlon, only shorter.

Team Interwest also had a presence at the TBF Tri for Real #3, where Kate, Gary, and Mark defended the series coed relay title by taking second place in the coed relay division. Way to go!

Xterra Del Valle

I raced in the Xterra Del Valle Off-Road Triathlon on May 8, 2010 organized by Big Blue Adventure. 1300 m swim, 17 mi bike, 6 mi run. Tough bike and run legs. About 3,200 feet of climbing on the bike course, and 600 feet of climbing on the run.

Grazie

A huge thanks to Jeff, Rachel, and their family for letting me sleep on their sofa bed the night before. It saved me a lot of driving on race morning. I didn't get to visit with them as much as I would've liked. I arrived a little late, and got up early to make it to the race. I really appreciated their hospitality.

I also owe a big thank you to TriNow Fitness. I called them at 3:30 on Wednesday, and they shipped out an order of CarboPro to me the same day. I got it the next day and was able to try it out before the race. That's customer service!

My biggest thanks goes to my wife and family for being supportive through my training, and understanding while I went to race on the day before Mother's Day. Thanks, I love you very much.

The Good
Much improved course marking over last year. There was a course marshall marking number plates at the intersection of the first and second laps on the bike course, and there was improved directions at the corners where there was confusion last year. The run course was also marked much better.

Passing a guy on the bike course who says, "Someone else as hairy as me. You're the first hairy guy to pass me." I was speechless at the time, but I laughed to myself as I noticed that everyone around me had shaved legs.

Following someone for most of the bike course, then flying past him in T2.

Dropping that same guy on a huge climb on the run course, and never seeing him again until after I crossed the line.

Some random guy barbecueing with his family squirted water on the racers at the bottom of the big downhill on the run course. He even asked permission first. Sweet!

The Bad
Just after the second feed station there was a mismarked corner. One arrow pointed straight, and another pointed right. I knew from last year that the course probably went straight. I stopped and watched the five people in front of me and the one behind me go straight, so I went straight.

I got passed by a few people on the flat in the last third of the run.

Confusion regarding the results, and delayed preliminary results. Nine days later and results are still not final.

Traffic on run course caused by the adventure race.

No race photographer.

The Awesome
50 min faster than last year (21% improvement).

My brother called my finish time the day before the race. He told me I would break 3:30.

Last year
:25:40 (42) 2:16:33 (76) 1:31:50 (86) 4:14:03

10 of 12 in AG

82 of 99 overall

This year
20:08 (20) 2:01:036 (61) 1:02:11 (75) 3:23:22

8 (or 9) of 16 in AG

67 (or 66) of 127 overall

Probably not impressive numbers to some, but they make me happy.

Xterra Real Mountain Bike Triathlon 2010

Raced in the Xterra Real Mountain Bike Triathlon on March 28 organized by Total Body Fitness. When I signed up, my brother was supposed to race it with me. He did not make it to the race. I understand, but I couldn't help but be a little disappointed

The course and weather were great. I saw a few wild turkeys during the race, had a lot of fun, and felt good the whole time.

Here are some photos from James Pratt's website: Swim , Bike, Run.

I was pleased with my swim. I got a good dolphin start and was able to draft off someone a lot of the way. I got passed by a few on the looong run to T1 and had an OK transition to the bike.

Long bike course this time, and I enjoyed it much more than last time. Spent most of the first bike lap getting passed. Ate one Gu halfway through each lap and drank one bottle of water.

My T2 seemed lightning quick. Felt really good through the run. Not fast, but the run was comfortable. Started easy and built through the run. Took a little water at each aid station. I tried to pick up the pace in the last third. Quads would start to cramp if I went too hard, but I went as hard as I could. I passed a couple people, which made me feel good. Then I got passed by three others in the last 1.5 miles - bummer.

2:20:03 total time
81st out of 169 finishers
12th of 20 in my age group.
11:03 swim split, 23rd swim rank (880 yards)
1:29:12 bike split, 80th bike rank (16 miles)
39:48 run split, 121st run rank (4 miles)