Kona Baby!

Believe it or not, I am quite the realist. When you do the math on paper, knowing how popular Ironman Arizona is among all the Ironman races worldwide (selling out in seconds - having a Kona slot 11 months ahead of race day) and the the diminishing slots available per race, I have to admit that my goal of making it to Kona in 2015 seemed to be a pipe dream at best. Possibly only 3 or 4  spots available in my 50-54 age group.

But yet, I trained on and press towards the goal to have this race be my opportunity to get to the big island! 

Many asked why I didn't race an Ironman last year when I was in my first year of eligibility in this master age group. Honestly, I didn't have any desire last year to race 140.6. I had 70.3 Ironman Worlds in Vegas as a goal last year and my last full Ironman was back in 2011 at IMCDA.  

I know better than anyone that you have to want to do this race! If your heart isn't in it, the training and commitment is way too hard to just go through the motions.

However, even with the Half Ironman distance is definitely my sweet spot, I did receive the ok from Cristette to sign up for 2014 IMAZ. So I brought my folding chair and blanket the Monday after IMAZ 2013 to sign up for this year. My heart was in it.

Working with Nick White at Carmichael Training Systems (www.trainright.com) for the past 3 years has been great. We set a plan for the year that included an A race in the Spring, St. George 70.3 in May and of course, IMAZ in November. Goals included a return to the podium at St. George again like in 2013 and a podium and Kona Slot at IMAZ. 

First goal met with a turn down of the 70.3 Ironman Worlds slot at Mt. Tremblant since there was no way I could make that trip this year.

Now on to IMAZ.

With a successful Soma 70.3 race where I had an ok swim and decent bike, I charged ahead on the run in 4th place in my AG to pick off 3 competitors for the age group win.  I was a little concerned how much work it took and how spent I was post race. After dinner and hydration, I felt great and realized this could possibly be the way Ironman Arizona would play out.  It's how I race.

My race day strategy was to swim smart and consistent and exit the water sometime between 1:05 and 1:10. The swim race morning was uneventful and I came in at 1:08:59. (1:47/100m average pace) Slower than I thought it would be but this distance is not won in the swim. 

They set out chairs in the T1 tent which was great to get my bike helmet and shoes on. T1 took me 4:12.

It's no secret that it was windy Sunday. Northeast gusts got worst as the morning went on.  The 3 loop bike course is fine and the first loop was great, and I felt like a million bucks coming back to Tempe for the Rio Solado/Mill Ave turnaround. Then, the wind. Laps two and three were worst, so much worst! Lap two, I had a couple of spots on the Beeline before Shea that registered 15 mph but the good news was that the winds stayed consistent and he return back to Tempe was fast with easy 33-35 mph speed. I remember Carlos Mendoza calling it "free speed"! The last loop saw a lot of my gains diminish and I admit that speeds were as low as 9-11 mph. I returned to town not too frustrated or worried since I have learned to realize that everyone is dealing with the same elements. My bike split was 5:31:36 (20.27 mph average pace) 

I entered T2 again with outside chairs and much fewer racers to get ready for the marathon. I wasn't dreading it. Everyone knows the run is my strength. At this point, I have no idea where I stood in age group rank. Mentally, I was prepared to hear anything for 10th to 12th position.  I wanted to see Erik Svans as the run began to hear the news. I spotted him and he let me know I was in 9th position but the guys ahead of me were bigger and already struggling. I had in my brain that I would need at least 4th place to have a chance for Kona. That's 5-6 guys I need to run down! Here it goes!

T2 time 2:18

I never ran the run course before race day. I was open to it but it never worked out. (Unless you count the Underpants Run this past Thursday) I was very glad the course changed last year from three loops to a two loops. In past IMAZ races for me in 2097 and 2009, the second "Big Suck" loop is so difficult to work through. I get I could mentally get through a double loop course strong.

Nick told me to be conservative on the beginning of the run. Now upright, and in my element, I tend to run fast and hard off the bike. I looked down at my Garmin 910xt a couple of times in miles 2-4 and saw 6:45 pace. I quickly slowed down and enjoyed the run, staying at 7:28-7:40 pace very comfortably. I did see a couple of 50somethings as I ran on but didn't keep count. I should've but forgot. The rule of this type of day is not to do anything new that hasn't been tested before. I did venture a little out of that mode after attending a breakfast Friday am with Chris Lieto for Base Performance (www.baseperformance.com) and started to hear about salt absorption through the tongue rather than in capsule form. I am a big sweater and tend to overheat as the day gets longer. I put the product in my areo water bottle for the entire bike and licked my thumb and applied the product on my tongue every 15 minutes on the run. I actually loved the salt taste and never walked or cramped on the entire course. As I finished lap one (13.1 miles) I saw Erik again waiting for the report on where I stood in age group rank. "You are now 3rd or 4th but you can't slow down!" He said. "Really?" I thought. This could happen but there was still a whole lot of course to cover. Another half marathon to go. But now I now what's ahead; the out and backs, Curry Rd. hill etc. I continued with my PowerBar gel (double espresso) every half hour and my Base Performance salt  lick every 15 mins. I started cola in the second loop and more water in my mouth and over my head to stay cool. My pace did diminish but not far from 8min miles or faster. 

I have had in my mind all year that my race would come down to the last 10k. 6.2 miles to see how all these months of training would pay off when I needed them.

Last year I committed to Crossfit Endurance training at our One Multisport (www.onemultisport.org) Eilte Team sponsor , Power in Motion. (www.powerinmotion.com) Now that I am in my 50s, I truly feel strength and muscle maintenance will set me apart from the competition. All of the burpees, squats, etc will strengthen me to the finish line. 

This all crossed my mind as I past the One Multisport Aid Station at mile 20. Erik was there again and said, "You are in 3rd but you can't slow down." Last 10k - how ironic! 

I felt strong and good going over the Curry Rd. Hill and knew I could hold off anyone new. I would be ok. 

Those miles clicked away rather quickly somehow and before I knew it, I was on Priest heading south towards Rio Solado. Then it's a straight shot home.

As I came to the last aid station with a Sally Meyerhoff theme, all in pink, I saw a poster that read, "Be Relentlessly Positive!" I saw my good friend and Sole Sports Running Zone (www.solesportsrunning.com) buddy Sean McManus and I said to him, "This is it!" He understood perfectly.

I spotted Erik again on Rio Solado and I asked if I was still in 3rd place. He said, "Yes!" I looked at him and said, "I'm going to do this!?!" 

And I ran into the finish chute.

Run 3:34:15 (8:10/mi pace)

Total 10:21:20

Gender Rank: 112

Division Rank: 3

Overall Rank: 138

Monday's Awards were awesome as expected. I had three goals for the race:

1. Kona 

2. Podium

3. Sun 10 hours

Two out of three ain't bad!

 I was pretty sure things looked good for my slot but nothing was posted at the Village that confirmed the age group slot allocation. 

Then I got nervous. "What if there are only 2 slots?" I thought. 

Mike Riley, the voice of Ironman, put on an plastic lei and began to announce the rules and process for Kona. "I will state the slots, state the name up to three times then move on to the roll down. It sucks being older sometimes more than other times! They start with the 18-24 women and slowly work their way to the geriatric groups. 

Finally, Mike turns the page and adjusts his reading glasses and says, "Men, 50-54 - 3 slots and one added slot for a total of four!" I am in! I waited for my name and my fake flower lei and took my golden ticket to the payment table. 

I am so excited and thankful to my wife and boys for their support. Cristette- I love you and look forward to celebrating our 25th Wedding Anniversary on the Big Island!

To my club, One Mutlisport and my team ONE Elite -thank you for letting me wear such treasured colors!

Of course to my coach, Nick White with Carmichael Training Systems for his insight and push!

To Valdora bikes (www.valdoracycles.com) for being my bike sponsor and for all your support! Can't wait to take the PHX2 to Hawaii!

Now it's marathon training time and my 12 consecutive Rock and Roll AZ full marathon! Never stop! Right?

Until next time!

Aloha and Mahalo!

  

SOMA 70.3 10/19/2014 RACE REPORT - Jenni Marshall

Pre-Race - Training, Nutrition, etc.  

I went into this race nervous about my training.  I didn’t think that I had trained hard enough or long enough to have a good race.   Training was more social than focused and I only added intensity to my swim, bike and run “when the spirit moved me.”   This isn’t the way I typically train for a race.  I usually have a training plan and then execute that plan as close to perfectly as I can.  I get pretty Type A about it but if I do the training plan perfectly, I am cautiously optimistic about the race.  This time around, I didn’t know how my social training would translate into race results.

My biggest concern was the bike (as usual).  I was not cycling very fast during training rides and I was concerned about all the turns on the Soma course.   Also, during a race I tend to get overly excited during the bike portion because I feel good and I ride too hard which results in killing my run.  Knowing this about myself, I thought I should come up with a race strategy to try to stay calm on the bike and not kill the run.  My strategy was to go out hard on the swim, cruise on the bike and then run hard.  

Race Morning

Breakfast - I decided to load up more than usual on calories.  I get depleted a lot during races so I thought a big breakfast would help start me of right.  Two eggs, oatmeal, First Endurance sports drink, coffee.  

Warm-Up - I ran out to where the swim buoys end and back.  Had more sports drink, Skittles and a Honey Stinger gel 20 minutes before the start of my wave.    

RACE

Swim - 1.2 miles 

Goals: Time Goal: 33:00 / 1:43 pace 

Non time Goal: I had a video analysis done by Frank Sole (Sole Swim Solutions) a month before the race.  He showed me how I could make my swim more efficient and pick up some speed.  I did drills he gave me for the past few weeks and I felt I could apply the key movements during the race.  These keys were to snap my hips (instead of them moving passively), bring my shoulder to my chin and don’t push down on the water.  

Results: Official time: 32:51 /  1:42 pace

The start of the swim was a little chaotic but not too bad.  A woman was in front of me and at first, I wanted to get around her but found that she was swimming faster than I could get around so I thought I’d draft behind her and see how it felt.  I often feel too impatient to do this or scared that I might be slacking and swimming slower than I’d like but every time I thought about getting around her, I found that I’d be expending way too much energy to do so so I stayed on her heels and enjoyed the ride.  It was great, she navigated through the traffic of the waves ahead of us and didn’t slow down until we made the turn.  At that point, I started ramming into her too much and thought I better get off before I took a hard kick to the face.  I swam hard the last third of the swim and felt good.  I tried to stay to the inside and get into a good, fast groove, keeping in mind Frank’s swim keys. 

I have done the swim portion of Soma 4 times before this race as part of a relay.  This was my fastest swim time in this race and it included having to get my wetsuit taken off.  For the relay, you don’t have to worry about getting it stripped off before entering transition.  Good start to the race.  

Bike - 56 miles

Goals:  Time Goal: 3:00, 18.67mph 

Non-time Goal: HR: 144-154; Relax.  Stay under control.  Watch cadence and HR.  If I start to feel tight or hurt, back off.  Don’t do anything to screw up the run.  

Nutrition: Water in aerobottle.  Flask of EFS Vanilla flavor (400 calories), to be taken every 20 minutes, washed down with water.  2 scoops of First Endurance in bottle cage under legs.  Skittles (if I need a pick me up).   Nutrition worked well.  I didn’t have very many Skittles because I didn’t want to screw up what I felt was working with the First Endurance products.  

Results:  Official Time: 2:50 /19.7mph, Avg. HR 156

This went a lot better than expected.  I calmed myself down in the beginning and at the start of each turn by making myself grab and drink from the bottle under my legs.  For the remainder of the bike portion,  I don’t feel like I overexerted myself.  I kept in under control, relaxed and had fun.  I watched my average speed after each lap and I stayed consistent the whole race.  I thought about pulling up with my legs as opposed to pushing down thanks to the hill repeats Jozsef Major had us do during the One group rides on Tuesdays.  

Run-

Goals:  Time Goal: 1:44 / 8:00 pace 

Non-Time Goal: HR 155-165

Nutrition: Flask of EFS (Kona Mocha flavor), water on the course, coke on the course.  I walked to drink at the water stations so I could get enough down.  I had some coke but it immediately gave me side cramps.  The EFS would give me a little pick me up.  

Results:  Official Time: 1:49 / 8:23 pace; Avg. HR: 165

Hot day out there!

My run was not what I had hoped for but I don’t think I could have done much more than I did.  I do not feel like I killed my run with the bike.  It was just hot out.  I had run 10 miles of the course on Monday during the same time of day that I’d be running race day and I had an 8:05 pace in Zone 2.  I was hoping that because I’d be in Zone 3 on race day, I’d be able to get the 8:00 pace but the heat squelched it.   I felt strong and from what many people told me, I looked strong on the course.  I tried to focus on maintaining form and using the strength I’ve gained through Crossfit Endurance at Power in Motion.   

Overall Race Time Goal: 5:20 

3rd place finish Age Group

Overall Race Non-Time Goal: Swim hard, relax on the bike, run fast. 

Overall Race Time Results:  5:16

Conclusion:  

My training may have not been my typical Type A formula but it still worked. I had fun being social, riding and running with my friends at One Multisport.  We did intervals on the bike and were being coached and encouraged by a professional triathlete, Jozsef Major.  When I would ride or run with the group, the intensity was up, not because of some set pace I wanted to do but because it was fun to test oneself within the group and just try to keep up.  

A big portion of my success was also the fitness and strength gained from doing the Crossfit Endurance program at Power in Motion.  Whatever intensity I was concerned was lacking in my swim, bike and run training, I made up for in the intensity to do the WODS during class.  

TOUGHMAN 70.3 6/21/2014 RACE REPORT - Jenni Marshall

Race Week

Toughman 70.3 in Show Low, AZ was the race I’ve been working towards this spring and summer.   Goals for this race were to PR from last year’s time of 5:37 and to be able to run off of the bike.  I had recently had my heart rate zones for the bike tested for the first time and felt that armed with this knowledge, I would hopefully keep myself under control on the bike and leave enough energy for a successful run.  

Race Morning

Breakfast - Steel cut oatmeal, greek yogurt with honey, 1 scoop of vanilla protein powder in coconut water with a packet of orange Emergen-C, coffee, water.

Warm-Up - I do not follow my own advice about warming up.  Didn’t warm up except for a few yards of swimming before the swim start.    

RACE

Swim - 1500M (shortened course)

Goals: Time Goal: 33:00 / 1:43 pace (this goal was based on the original distance of 1.2 miles.) 

Non time Goal: Build, stay focused, don’t coast

Results: Official time: 26:18; 1:45 pace 

I built through the swim which was good, especially with no warm up and being at altitude.  I feel like I swing too wide around the buoys and am having to direct myself back in closer.  The last 200M or so of the swim was a new challenge.  We got to swim through weeds that came all the way to the surface of the water.  Fortunately, I had pre-swum the end of the course the day beforehand and knew what to expect.   

The run to T1 was different also in that we hand to run up a long steep hill that was covered with a narrow green carpet.  I was told I was the 4th female out of the water or the 2nd (2 different people had 2 different reports), so either way, I was feeling pretty good about where I was in the race.  

Bike - 56 miles

Goals:  Time Goal: 3:00, 18.67mph 

Non-time Goal: HR: 144-154; Stay under control.  Watch cadence and HR.   Keep racing on the descents.

Nutrition: 2 scoops of Fixx and a Nuun in aerobottle and other bottle; Endurobites, 2 salt tabs, 3 Huma gels

Results:  Official Time: 3:00 /18.67mph, Avg. HR 156

I had a hard time in the beginning (like the first 45 minutes) to get the HR down to anywhere in range.  I figured this would be a hard goal.  I was used to training in higher HRs before my test so getting it down was a challenge.  Average HR didn’t end up being too far off so I don’t think this hurt me.  What did hurt were my hip flexors.  I don’t know if sitting in the car for 3 hours the day beforehand and insufficient stretching did them in or what but they were distracting me from what have otherwise been a pretty calm ride. 

I was passed on the bike by my teammate Teri and a girl in a dark blue jersey.  I was excited because now I knew who to hunt on the run.  

Run-

Goals:  Time Goal: 1:51 / 8:30 pace 

Non-Time Goal: HR 155-165

Nutrition: Honey water, water on course

Results:  Official Time: 2:06 / 9:38 pace; Avg. HR: 159

So, this part didn’t work out as hoped for.  The run course was a little different than last year and added more trail so that was a surprise.  The race was also 3 weeks later than last year so it was hotter.  I had a side cramp the whole time.  Those are my excuses.  The tough part though is that I never felt like a runner.  I had short bursts of energy but no flow.  My legs were tight, I was hot.  I’m having a hard time with the mental game if I don’t see my competition.  I probably didn’t drink enough on the bike or mange my electrolytes sufficiently.   The only consolation on my run time is that no females that day broke 2 hours on the run and I had the 3rd fastest female run time.  It was a tough day for everyone.  

My competitiveness was fortunately satisfied in the last mile of the race.  I finally spotted dark blue jersey girl.  I saw her after the out and back and before the big hill leading into the finish.  I thought to myself, “Pass with authority, don’t look back, run as efficiently as you can, if she kicks, give it all you’ve got.”  The last mile of the race was one of my best and it worked.  I took 2nd place overall female by close to 2 minutes.  

Overall Race Time Goal: 5:29 

Overall Race Non-Time Goal: Build the swim, control on the bike, run like a runner. 

Overall Race Time Results:  5:37

Overall Race Non-Time Results: Hit goals until I got to the run. 

RX: Build bike fitness properly now that zones are identified

Manage fluid and electrolyte intake - Identify sweat rate?

Stretch and foam roll every day to fight tightness

TERI: Post-Baby Racing

Siris is 4½ months old this week. He’s awesome.  

I wasn't sure how this racing season would go after Siris was born. I was hoping to do some short course racing in the first half of the year to get myself back in shape, with the goal of racing Deuces Half in Show Low in June. Deuces was my very first half IM in 2010, and has been one of my favorite race venues.

I've been able to bike for about 3 months now, but I have only typically been able to ride on the weekend due to my preference for time with Siris, and my work schedule, including annual spring business travel.  In addition, I have only been able to run 2-3 miles at a time due to my pelvis not returning to its pre-pregnancy state quite yet. I have been advised by athletes I know and trust that this is due to breastfeeding and hormones that aren't yet back to normal, affecting my bone structure. Running too soon could cause serious injury.  I went to a spinal surgeon in April due to shooting pains up my back and butt, and was told its related to my pelvis and hips not being back to their pre-baby condition. Breastfeeding is worth it for Siris, so I have resigned to biking only for now.

St. George 70.3 Relay
I talked with my coach Nick before Siris was born about trying to participate in the St George 70.3 relay the first weekend of May as my first post-baby race. Nick agreed to race with me - he swam and ran, and I biked.  He and his wife Rachel just had baby #4 in April, so we named our team “So What If We Have Newborns.”  It was fun to go to check-in with Tyson carrying Siris around in his baby carrier.  He is going to be raised in this crazy endurance environment… poor kid J

Me and Tyson before SG

Me and Jenni after
Tempe International.
She's a stud.

The SG bike course is TOUGH. I didn't get the training in that I wanted due to the pelvis issue impacting my riding for the 3 weeks prior. I planned to ride Bartlett a few times in preparation, but the one time I made it down Bartlett, I turned around before the last 6 mile descent. Wimp! Let’s just say I was nervous heading into SG. Very nervous. I managed to finish the bike leg in just over 3 hours. Not ideal, but a pretty epic ride regardless. Nick and I ended up taking third place in the relay division. And, most importantly, I reclaimed my motivation to train and race. AND, Tyson and my friend Brooke both raced the full race and both had fantastic race days. I am anxious for the day that I can race the entire SG race for myself. Epic.

Tempe International
I entered Tempe International sprint distance mid-May to see how it would go. I haven't raced a sprint since my very first triathlon in May 2009! My swim performance was less than desirable (I started too far back and got stuck behind), I crushed the bike (it was only 12 miles!), and I managed to run the entire run course after not running for a month. It wasn't a great performance, but I did take second in my AG, to my friend Jamie Dunn.

That was a nice start to the year when I didn't really know what I was capable of. I figured I could make it through an hour race even being out of shape, but "redlining" in a sprint when you haven't seen Zone 4 in over a year is interesting! I even managed a little sprint to pass some poor unsuspecting guy at the finish line.  Sorry, man.  I do still have a competitive nature…

Deuces Wild
I have not been able to run more than 3 miles. I knew I would enter a Deuces race, as we had planned to take Siris and rent a house with friends. I love the 56 mile Half bike course, and the Olympic and Half swim distance is so similar that I just can't bring myself to sign up for the Olympic and cheat myself of the opportunity to go longer on the bike. But I knew I can't (and shouldn't) run a half marathon. So, what to do? Against my coach's wishes, I signed up for the Half. Silly girl.

Deuces Swim - 34:59
The swim went fine. They shortened the course to 0.92 rather than 1.2 due to the lake water level, and the Oly race swam the same course. I'm okay with that :) Keep in mind this time compares to my friend Robin Watson who swam a 21.52. Really. Let's just say I know I have lots of room for improvement!   I haven't been swimming since Siris, and you can tell.  I won’t ever be a Robin Watson, but sheesh I have some work to do.  My arms are sore, two days later.

Deuces Bike - 2:49:07
I love this bike course. I was able to get in four "long" training rides that were 50+ miles - two solo 50 mile rides, SG 70.3, and a 60 mile ride with a small group. But nothing at elevation and nothing truly "long" which I think should be 70+. Oh well, it's race day!  Managed the second fastest female bike split, but I didn't meet my goal of breaking 2:45. I got crushed on the last few miles of hills, but it was a fun day.

Interesting note on nutrition… I find that since I'm not training too much right now, my nutritional needs on the bike are lower. Must be a metabolic burn rate thing. I'll be talking to Brooke at Fuel to the Finish about this. Bike fuel: Heed in my Speedfill, one Honey Stinger Waffle, one Huma gel, one picky bar. No water refills.

Deuces Run - 2:42:48
Yep, you read that time right. My Deuces run should be 1:45-1:50. When I don't have a 4 month old :). I enjoyed the first part of the run... I took it slow with the idea that I wouldn’t get hurt. The trail portions of the run were fine, but the road parts after about 4 miles caused me too much back/pelvis pain, so I walked much of the second lap.  I had to fight the inclination to run through the pain so I could have a decent time, but the awareness of a long-term injury kept me walking.  It was interesting to walk in a race.  I have never walked big chunks like that, and I debated dropping out at the end of the first loop. But I decided it would be good for my head to FINISH despite the barriers, and to feel what it’s like to walk large chunks.  Many people do this regularly, and it was good to feel it for myself.  I have to admit that getting the “great job, you’re almost there” cheers from people made me want to shout obscenities like “don’t you know I have a small baby?” or “I don’t usually walk like this” or “shut up – I’m not really doing a great job.”  I bit my tongue and thanked them.  Tough day out there, but I know I did the right thing for my longer-term racing.

Me at Deuces.
I'm smiling because I've been walking!

Now What
I am supposed to race IMAZ this year, but I have to get my run in check before I can train. Nick says to stay at the 3 mile mark for runs until Siris is 6 mos or I don't feel any pain while running. We shall see how it all evolves.  In the meantime, I am hoping to get in more bike miles, do a little swimming, and keep running 3 miles around my neighborhood.

Onward and upward!

TEMPE INTERNATIONAL 5/18/14 RACE REPORT - Jenni Marshall

Race Week

I’ve felt like I’ve been racing a lot lately which is fun but I was using it as an excuse to not train as hard on the dates before and after races.  I determined that this race was going to be a training day with no taper and no recovery afterwards.  I cycled 3.5 hours the day before out to Seven Springs immediately followed by activities with the family which gave me no time to stretch, roll, etc.  My goal was to use this race in place of a couple tempo workouts that I had scheduled for this week and I wanted to try and maintain a HR around 175.  

Race Morning

Breakfast - Brown rice cake with Almond Butter and Honey, 1 scoop of vanilla protein powder in coconut water with a packet of orange Emergen-C, coffee, water

Warm-Up - nothing significant.  Ran from the swim finish up to transition to see what it would feel like across the street, rocks, up the hill.  

RACE

Swim - 400M

Goals: Time Goal: 6:40 / 1:40 pace (this was to include the long run to transition) 

Non time Goal: Build quickly and finish hard

Results: Official time: 07:20; 1:50 pace 

I wasn’t focused.  I chit-chatted before the race start and almost forgot to line up.  I wound up lining up to the far left when I usually line up exactly with the buoy line which in this case should have been the far right(we were keeping the buoys on our right).  This kept me out of the fray of swimmers but I was fighting to get in and added some overall distance to my swim.  I was just warming up by the time it was over.  I never got into a good fast groove.  When I got out of the water to run to transition, I was around a lot of people just kind of jogging/walking up the hill and it was hard to get around them.  

Bike - 

Goals:  Time Goal: 37:00, 20.11mph 

Non-time Goal: HR: 165-175;Concentrate on using power from my glutes instead of my quads.

Nutrition: 2 scoops of Fixx and a Skratch labs in aerobottle

Results:  Official Time: 38:04 /19.54mph, Avg. HR 160

For some reason my Garmin wasn’t calculating my average speed or distance so I had no idea what I was averaging.  I figured this was ok because I was mainly focused on HR anyway.  I couldn’t get it up for 2 reasons.  First, my legs were kind of heavy from the day before.  Second reason was I really suck at turns and every time I slowed down for the turn, my HR drops.  I need to fix this problem.  

Run-

Goals:  Time Goal: 21:27 / 6:55 pace 

Non-Time Goal: HR 175+, go as hard as I can

Nutrition: None, sips of water on course

Results:  Official Time: 22:42 / 7:19 pace; Avg. HR: 168

Again, I didn’t know my pace due to my Garmin.  Again, I couldn’t get the HR up even though I felt like I was pushing hard.  My legs were tight like they had braces on them and I knew I had tension coming from my lower back.  I don’t think that I could have gotten to the pace I wanted even if my Garmin was working correctly. 

Overall Race Time Goal: 1:07:37  

Overall Race Non-Time Goal:  Push the HR to 175+, try to redline the whole time.  

Overall Race Time Results:  1:10:24

Overall Race Non-Time Results:  This was not a very successful race or training day considering what I was hoping for.  In order to correct this in the future, I believe I need to increase the number of tempo runs and bikes I do.  Fortunately, in my training plan for my “A” race this summer (Deuces, Show Low), it is calling for that exactly.  I need to increase my confidence in holding a fast pace and higher HR.  I also need to stretch and roll more.  Tight legs hold me back physically and mentally.  Finally, I need a pre-race warm-up.   A 10-15 minute run with some strides could go a long way.

Tempe Marquee Olympic Triathlon 2014 Race Report by Erik Svans

"Ground Zero":  If there's one phrase I could use to define what Marquee Olympic Triathlon was for me, that is it.  I wish I could say I had big aspirations for this day; but I knew it was going to be a gut check and a reality bites race.  After taking a year completely off, I knew re-engaging into training was going to be challenging.  When you're training every day, eating clean, resting sufficiently, and psychologically ready to take on a competitive training program, the stars will align and you become a lean mean fighting machine through your dedication and focus that YOU control.  But then there's life and the wrenches that it throws at you---but not all wrenches are bad!   Since my last race (IMAZ 2012), life has been full of change...good change.  New place to call home on two fronts (work: left a flailing partnership, and home: moved into a new house two weeks prior to Marquee).  With these changes, training has been more of a "I've got a free hour today, what am I gonna do?" kind of setup.

Most days though, there hasn't been much time for training.  As Marquee approached and our move occurring 2 weeks prior to race day, I decided to switch my approach from getting into training mode to using Marquee as a benchmark--to simply see what would happen if I raced on almost no training (well, at least no focused training at all).  No track workouts, no intervals on the bike,  and just 2 swims in the week prior to the race---I was truly at zero going in.  Not training, not eating clean, not resting enough, and psychologically too busy with other life events to focus on a training program and its outcome.

The great thing about our local races here put on by Lifetime is that they are predictable from sign up to awards---we don't need to think about the logistics because they are identical from race to race.  That took a lot of concern off my mind going into the race---I know the course, the transition, the competition, and of course the sea of Orange that is ONE Multisport is a welcoming sight.  I've raced this almost exact course 6 times now, so I knew I would at least be able to pull some good comparisons...



My race plan was very simple:  find my threshold and sit on it all race long.  That really has never changed, and it has always been self limiting for me.  Its gotten to a point that I can fairly accurately predict my pacing based on my training results---I knew I wasn't going to be anywhere near my "norms," but now i was going to learn my "baselines."

Swim:  I started front right as I almost always do, which allows me to see the rest of my wave as I primarily breathe to my left as we gas it off the line.  There was only 79 octane in the tank on this day, and I watched 3-4 guys in my wave sail off ahead...podium fairy tales went out the window as the swim usually set me up for a "catch me if you can" type of race strategy that has worked well for me in the past.  The swim was uneventful, and I got the first important gut check:  3m35s off my swim PR for this course, getting out of the water in 25:47 (PR is 22:06).  Gulp...

T1:  Getting shucked from my wetsuit was a perfect example of how not to get out of  a wetsuit, but I made up for it with a helmet buckle and flying mount and nothing more.  I came close to my 47 second PR for T1 with a respectable 49sec...like the seconds mattered on this day ;-)

Bike: "It is what it is."  I went old school, no HR or power---just me and my bike.  I settled into that threshold, and two laps later got gut check number two:  21.39mph average (because of the longer bike, the only relevant data is the mph).  Previous best in 24mph...seemed about right.  I could really feel how a lack of layered training affected my ability to suffer.  I had no depth,  just

T2: shoes left on pedals, helmet off while running, slide into shoes, grab glasses and bib number, and away I went.... 43 seconds.

Run:  I decided I wanted to let Carlos Mendoza pass me, not once, but twice on this day---he passed me on the bike, I passed him back in T2, and he flew by me on the run...its always great to see Carlos, hahaha.  Anyways, I shuffled along at ~7:10/mi pace with a guy from Tribe, and other than seeing Jenny and the kids at Mile 6, the run was something not to be proud of:  44:54 time versus a PR of 39:19.

Overall: Ground Zero sucks!  Some solid training is in the works, and a clear path on all other fronts will be here very soon!  Onwards and upwards!

Erik

2014 Boston Marathon: Elliot Kawaoka err #ElliotStrong!

Boston Marathon 2014: #ElliotStrong

I had a lot on the line.  Days leading up to the event, the smack talk on Facebook began. The bet was placed: I’d have to evacuate from Arizona and grow a beard if I didn’t break three hours. I had to perform… or I could lose everything.

Training:

Preparing for the Boston Marathon was tough because it was during peak tax season. Peak running mileage was only 40 miles a week. I had to make each workout count and every session had a purpose. With such limited training volume, the mindset my coach gave me was “quality over quantity.” Some workouts were painful and I hated every minute of them, but I always kept my mind on the prize… to crush triathlete dreams in Boston.

A typical training week consisted of 100 miles of biking, 10,000 yards of swimming, and 35-40 miles of running… all while working 10+ hour days, six days a week.  I honestly don’t know how I stayed motivated train to train at times.

A typical week of running sessions consisted of:

Monday – Easy, recovery jog (9+ minute miles)

Tuesday – 8-mile flat run along Tempe Town Lake at marathon pace

Wednesday – Track practice (speed work)

Thursday – Transition running off the bike

Friday – Easy jogging

Sunday- Long run (hilly)

My longest run was 21 miles. All long runs contained intervals at marathon pace.  Most were done on hilly routes, including McDowell Mountain Road and South Mountain. One of my favorite workouts:

2-mile warm-up

10 x 2:00 at 10k pace (5:30 min/mi) w/ 1:00 jog recovery

5 x 12:00 at marathon pace (<6:30 min/mi) w/ 3:00 jog recovery

Cool down

I sat down with coach Nick on Wednesday before the race to discuss my strategy.  Though my run volume was way down, I felt like I was well prepared and knew exactly what I needed to do in order to hit my goal. Nick always sets the bar really high for me.  I told him I want to go under three, and he just smirked as said, “low 2:50.”  I believe confidence is everything in endurance racing.  I needed to believe and trust in myself I could run a low 2:50 marathon time.  Nick gives me confidence I will perform on race day.  He prepares me to be the best.

In 2012, I went to my first Boston Marathon primarily for experience, finishing in 3:05.  This year, it was all about redemption.  A marathon is a long endurance event, and you have to race it smartly.  Yet, there is a certain point in the race where you shut off your mind, tell your legs to “shut up,” and go for it.  I was ready to kick the pissah out of this race.

Race weekend:

Friday: I flew into Boston Logan airport and immediately ran into trouble.  The airline lost my run bag! Crap!!!  Luckily my friend, Mindy, let me borrow her clothes for a couple days.  The downside – I had to walk around Boston in girl clothes.  The Bostonians were looking at me funny.

I went to Trader Joes to buy all my meals for the weekend.  Although we paid a fortune to stay at our hotel, they didn’t have any microwaves or refrigerators.  I began thinking of alternative cooling methods.  I dumped out the trash and stored all my perishable food in a trash can of ice!  It worked to perfection.

I hid all my food in a drawer, cut my fruit with the ice tongs, and prepared all my food on the TV stand. I was set.

Saturday:

Expo check in:

Being a special marathon year, they allowed thousands of additional runners for 2014.  This resulted in a madhouse at the expo.  I couldn’t walk around the expo without becoming a little claustrophobic.  I bought a Boston tee and quickly got out of there.

Then, off to the Boston Red Sox game! It was wicked cold.  I was the only dumb ass wearing a short-sleeve shirt.

The tradition at Fenway is unlike any other ballpark.

Sunday:

I hung out in the hotel lobby and drew out my race strategy.  I was going to do everything in my power to run Boston smartly and effectively.

As Russell Wilson puts it: “Separation is in the preparation.”

The majority of the day was spent napping, visualizing the race, and seeing all the awesome messages from my fans via text, email, and Facebook.  The support I receive from family and friends is remarkable.  These big-time races mean so much to me, and it makes me so happy getting your messages of support and well wishes.

Boston Strong Day.

I woke up at 5 a.m. and ate my first breakfast: oatmeal with bananas and strawberries, and a protein shake.  My friend, Dean, met me at my hotel and we walked to the Boston Commons.  Then, the 45-minute school bus ride to Hopkinton… this ride always seems to take forever.

I wore a Washington State hoodie as my throw-away clothing because it belonged in the Hopkinton dumpster … Go Dawgs.

We arrived in Hopkinton at 7:30 a.m., two and a half hours before the gun went off.  Race morning was sunny and a brisk 50 degrees.  I was freezing.  My feet and hands were going numb.  I found an open grass section in the sun, munched on a bagel, bundled up, and took a nap.

At 9 a.m., the announcement was made for the first wave of runners to begin walking to the start line.  The adrenaline I feel walking to the Boston Marathon start is unlike any other race.  You are surrounded with runners who all ran a similar Boston qualifying time.  Being in corral two, I was right in front of the elite field.  Our entire corral cheered them on as they toed the line.  I was running around greatness.

Hopkinton to Framingham (miles 1 to 6)

I began about a minute after gun time.  Being around experienced marathon runners was beneficial.  Surprisingly, no one shot out of the gate and ran like idiots.  Everyone seemed to take the first section of the course pretty conservative.  The majority of the first six miles of the race is downhill.  I focused on my downhill running I practiced in training – leaning forward, letting gravity do work, and keeping good form and cadence.  I settled into a comfortable 6:30-6:35 pace, taking in double-caffeinated PowerBar gels every 30 minutes.

Framingham to Natick (miles 6 to 10)

The course flattens out and I was still consistently hitting 6:30 miles at a relatively easy pace.  I tried to stay as loose and relaxed as possible, shaking out the shoulders every five minutes.  There are few sections along the course where there aren’t spectators cheering.  The crowd support at Boston was unbelievable.  Being on Patriot’s Day every year, the whole city seems to come out to support the marathoners.  I ran on the side of the course giving out high-fives to hundreds of spectators. I was feeling like a million bucks.

Natick to Wellesley Square (miles 10 to 13.1)

Still clipping away at 6:30 miles, I moved to the center of road to avoid the screaming, flirty Wellesley girls.  I gave them my love in 2012.  This year, I had my game face on.  Sorry hunnies, no kisses this year.  I started to get my beast mode on.  It’s all bout that action, boss.

Wellesley Square to Lower Newton Falls (miles 13.1 to 16 miles)

I decided to run with music this year for when I entered my dark moments.  I hit a rough patch early, at mile 15.  I had one mile to go before I reached the first section of hills. I splashed cold water over my face and blasted some Deadmau5 to bring me back from the dead. I quickly got back into the groove.

Lower Newton Falls to Cleveland Circle (miles 16 to 22)

I diligently planned this section of the course.  It contains the infamous hills of the Boston Marathon.  Rather than burning all my matches up these hills, I took a conservative approach.  I ran up them with a high cadence, ignored pace, and closely monitored my heart rate.  In 2012, I made the mistake of hammering up these hills, which resulted in blowing up in the final 10k.  I still worked hard up these hills, but I definitely felt like I was holding back.  When I summited Heart Break hill at mile 21, it was time to get to work.

Cleveland Circle to Kenmore Square (miles 22 to 25)

When it’s game time, it’s pain time.

I ran with anger.

Time to burn my matches.

Immediately after Heart Break, I got after it. Time to destroy dreams. I was flying past people like they were standing still.  It’s complete carnage out on the Boston course in the last four miles.  Runners are on the side of the road cramping up, falling over, and grimacing with pain. Passing runners gave me even more confidence and will to give it everything I had.  I was wearing the mask of pain.

As my friend, Stephen, reminded me before the race, “save your matches.”  I was igniting an entire book on this section of the course.

I was the little man with the big engine.  A little woman, with an even bigger engine soon began pacing with me.

Mile 25 was my fastest split of the day, a 6:19 minute mile.

I continued pacing with the girl until she picked it up to a sub six pace.  I put my head down and dug deep to try to hold on.  She was flying, and slowly put a sizeable gap on me.  She dropped me like a hot potato.

Kenmore Square to finish (miles 25 to 26.2 miles)

The final miles went by fast.  I still had plenty in the tank, which resulted in a much more pleasurable marathon experience.  Unlike many people who were completely gassed and holding on for dear life at the end, I was wishing the race was longer.

I reached the historic CITGO sign, the “one mile to go” marker.

I cool picture sent to me by a random spectator along the course.

Still cruising at a sub 6:30 pace, I hit Boylston Street and immediately got goose bumps from the horrific event that transpired in 2013.  I looked over at the exact location where the bombings took place.  Then I got a completely different attitude about my day.  This was more than just a race… more than hitting a certain goal time.  Spending the weekend in Boston before the race, I got to see, first-hand, the individuals affected by the bombings. These survivors didn’t let the 2013 events affect their desire and dreams of finishing the 2014 Boston Marathon. They were incredibly inspirational to me.  I ran the final stretch hard for them and I got a little emotional.

Boylston Street was packed with thousands of spectators.  I was running on air.  I felt their energy and cheers.  I pumped my fists in the air as I crossed the line in 2:52:51, a new Boston PR by over 13 minutes!!!

Suddenly I got really cold.  My lips turned blue and I was shivering uncontrollably.  A worried volunteer put me in a wheelchair and carted me to medical to warm up.  An hour in medical and five cups of hot chicken broth later, I was ready to fly home.

I quickly walked to my hotel, picked up my bags, stuffed my face with a Mike’s cannoli, and took the subway to the airport.

Tired but happy…

My hotel had these plaques delivered to all the Boston finishers.  Pretty cool.

My Garmin file of Boston

Thanks to my sponsors for your continued support: ONE Multisport, Endurance Rehab, Foosia, Complete Skin Care and Body Restoration, Destination Kona, Fuel to the Finish, Scottsdale Health Magazine, and Power in Motion Crossfit.

Also, thanks to the hundreds of Facebook messages and texts after the race.  My phone was blowing up.  The support I receive from the triathlon community, family, and friends is why I love this sport. Thank you all.

There wasn’t a single place I went in the city where I didn’t see “Boston Strong” shirts, hats, and signs.  It brought the entire city together.  The 2014 Boston Marathon was very memorable experience and the most special race I’ve ever participated in. It made me Elliot Strong. No beard for me.