2018 Season Report

     
       Triathlon is full of amazing people with amazing stories. One of my favorite things about the sport is that every year I meet more people with more stories. Stories of how and why they got started in the sport and stories about why they continue in the sport. For some it's about a new challenge. For some it's about a new lifestyle. For others it's about channeling the emotion of a tragedy or loss into something positive. Whatever the story, they're all inspiring. The more I race, the more I've become a fan of a lot of the folks I race with and against.

      I’m thankful for awesome groups like the Louisville Landsharks and Team VO2! A great community of folks that make a tough sport fun! 

       I’m thankful for my wife who has supported and tolerated a lot as I have pursued this hobby!

       My story started as an effort to find a way to lose weight and have fun and has morphed into a journey to challenge myself and encourage others. I've learned that with consistency, planning and being a student of the sport, big improvements can happen and you can find yourself competing at higher and higher levels (with yourself and other competitors). 2018 was my 9th year doing triathlons and the best yet for many reasons. 

       The 2018 season also ended up being easily my most memorable. It was a season of firsts, a season of accomplishment and not without some adversity. It was also the 2nd straight year I was able to race with friends from my church small group! I began planning the season in the fall of 2017 when I registered for IM 70.3 Chattanooga. I was coming off my best season so far and wanted to make sure I was doing what I could to make this one better. The first thing I did was reach out to Mike Hermanson with Progressive Endurance. Mike coached me through the months leading up to Chattanooga and helped me with my race day strategy. Along the way he taught me a great deal about training and race day nutrition. Working with Mike was a great move and it set me up not only for a great race in Chattanooga, but also for the races that followed. Without his help, I'm confident I wouldn't have had as much success this year. 

       My initial plan for 2018 was Chattanooga, Tri Louisville and the Bowling Green Sprint Triathlon. Tri Louisville and Bowling Green have become favorites of mine that I hope to do annually. Everything else was ad-hoc to the calendar.

IronMan 70.3 Chattanooga 

I’ve written about this in a previous post. It’s a fantastic race venue and was an amazing experience. 

Goal - Finish in 5.5 hours or better

Result: 

Swim (1.2 miles) - 27:36

T1- 4:23

Bike - 2:54:13

T2 - 3:22

Run - 1:54:31 (PR at the Half Marathon distance at the time)

Total - 5:24:05

55th of 209 in Age Group

432nd of 2,226 Overall

The time is a PR at this distance, coming in about 6 minutes faster than my 2016 time at IM70.3 Austin in 2016. The swim in Austin was cancelled due to fog so this is likely closer to a 45 minute PR. 

Tri Louisville (Olympic Distance)

Goal: Finish in 2hrs, 30min or faster

Result:

Swim (1500m) - 21:18

T1 - 2:38

Bike (40km) - 1:10:59

T2 - 1:06

Run (10km) - 47:41

Total - 2:23:43

This is a PR of over 15 minutes at the Olympic Distance, beating my previous best of 2:38:50 from the 2017 Derby City Tri-Fecta. I’ll spot the river current 6 minutes and call it a 9 minute PR.

7th out 34 in Age Group

43rd out of 271 Overall

Heroes Run 5k

Heroes Run 5k was a benefit for USA Cares that a friend of mine was promoting. I registered the night before. It was a Saturday morning race just down the road so why not.

I didn’t go into this race with any specific goals other than to run hard and see how it went.

Result: Official Time of 21:51

3rd of 8 in Age Group

5th of 117 Overall

Bowling Green Sprint Triathlon

This makes the 5th time I’ve done this race. This was my best race ever in 2017 and was going to be tough to top. 

Goal: beat 2017 time of 1:14:31, which was good for 4th in my age group and top 20 overall. 

Result:

Swim (400m) - 7:40

T1 - :30

Bike - 44:54

T2 - 

Run - 24:52

Total - 1:17:54

2nd of 12 in Age Group 

22nd of 153 Overall

While I’m disappointed in the time, this was only the 2nd time I’ve gotten on the podium at a triathlon! 

When I look back at the weeks leading up to this race, I probably should have expected to have a slower overall race. While my running had been strong and consistent, I’d spent considerably less time on the bike in prior weeks which impacted my ability to handle the hills on a tough bike course and ultimately negatively impacted my run. 

This race was a little extra special because my small group did so well. Ryan Durham finished 16th overall and won his age group. Julie Hammer came in 52nd and 3rd in her age group. 3 athletes, 3 podiums! 

(Quick shout out to Ryan....he challenged me last year at a time when I was contemplating quitting triathlon. This was our 5th race together. He’s accomplished a lot in just two years in the sport and has amazing potential.)

Gaslight Festival 5k

Mike Hermanson challenged me to register after seeing me muse online about whether or not I could run a 5k under 20 Minutes.

Goal: 20 minutes or less

Result: 21:07

1st of 21 in Age Group

27th of 523 Overall

This was a tough race and a race of firsts. I was on pace for my goal time of 20 minutes for the first mile, but was hit hard with some muscle cramping in my left leg that caused a lot of pain and slowed me down for the last 2 miles. With that said, I can’t be more pleased with the result. Won my age group for the first time ever in a race and ran my fastest 5k since my early 20s. It was also my first race after turning 40.

The cramping in my leg turned out to be some weakness and muscle imbalance that had developed over the prior months and is something that has plagued my runs since. 

Hardware from the Men's Open Water
Swim and a tired toddler.

Landshark Triathlon Olympic Triathlon Relay

I took the 1500m swim leg, Ryan Durham took the bike leg and Julie Hammer anchored us on the run. “The IronMan and Her Apprentices” finished 3rd. It was a fun way to cap off a tri season.

This race also included a 1500 Open water Swim race. My swim time was good enough for 3rd overall in the men's race.

Bourbon Chase

This was a late addition to the calendar. My friend Ben Jarboe’s team had a runner drop and he asked if I wanted to join. I love the Bourbon Chase so heck yes!

Leg 1 - Started at Jim Beam and led the entire 7.1 miles to the first exchange zone. Averaged a 7:48 pace over rolling terrain and some trails.
Leg 13 - a 4.9 mile run beginning in downtown Danville, KY. Averaged  7:25/mile
Leg 27 - 5.2 miles. I was really feeling it from the first two legs and laid off the pace a little due to tightness in my left leg (again). Averaged an 8:16 pace.

Urban Bourbon Half Marathon

The 13.1 miles at the end of IM70.3 Chattanooga was a PR at the half marathon distance (1:54:31). With that in mind, I was excited to schedule a stand alone half marathon to see what I could do without all the swimming and biking first. I registered over the summer, confident that I could beat my existing PR. With the leg issues that came up later I had my doubts on whether or not I could even finish the race. The Bourbon Chase the week before helped me to have confidence that I could cover the distance. I felt fantastic for 10 miles! So good that I was sure I could negative split the last 3.1. I picked up the pace for mile 11 and then the wheels came off. Cramping below the knee and in my left thigh set in as I started mile 12 and it was an absolute battle just to keep running. I was pretty much limping as I ran. It loosened up enough in the last mile that the limp went away. I crossed the finish line in 1:40:15 for a PR of just over 14 minutes!

Goal: Beat PR time of 1:54:31
Result:1:40:15

13th of 208 in Age Group
147 of 3,312 Overall

Summary:
I've said it before and it's worth repeating, getting connected with a good coach had a huge impact on this year, unlocking potential in swimming, biking and running that I hadn't been able to do on my own. 3 PRs and 3 Age Group Podiums in the year I turned 40 are pretty good testimony to that impact. Check out Progressive Endurance Coaching!

A few folks have asked me just what kind of difference coaching made. I decided to pull together my strava data for both my training and my races and compare the averages year over year. Here is the data side by side with some commentary. Overall improvements were made in all 3 disciplines. It doesn't necessarily show up on the bike due to the race strategy for the Half IronMan and a shift in consistency through the summer.

Off-season and 2019 Outlook
My usual approach to the off-season is to sit around and do nothing for a few months, which pretty much leads to starting completely over every year. This year my focus will be on improving my diet and doing more strength training. They say you can't out-exercise a bad diet. Well I have a bad diet and carry about 20 lbs more than I should. Considering that I'm probably leaving 1-1.5 seconds per miler per pound on the table I should be able to improve in running with an improved diet. The strength training should help correct any weaknesses/imbalances that I have and help me hold them off.

The only planned event so far is the KDF Marathon. It'll be my first attempt at a full marathon and my focus for training beginning in December. I'm sure I'll add some other events to the calendar in the coming months.

Thanks for reading!

Race Report: IM 70.3 Chattanooga

When I met with Mike Hermanson last fall I shared with him my plan to do Chattanooga 70.3 with a goal of five and a half hours. That at the time felt like a pretty big leap. The only other time I’d attempted a 70.3 was in Austin, TX in 2016. I finished right at 5:30, but that was with a cancelled swim (due to fog) and one less transition. I estimated at the time that I would have been closer to 6:20 if we would have had the swim.

In December we tested my pace and endurance in the pool, my power on the bike and my pace on the run and Mike built a training plan. I don’t know exactly what went into the planning on his end, but the workouts seemed to target my weaknesses. 

I quickly learned that I had never swam far enough, often enough or with enough intensity when I was training myself. It wasn’t long before I was much more comfortable in the pool and swimming much faster. 

For as good of a runner that I thought I was, I learned that I had a lot of room for improvement. I saw gains in speed and endurance pretty quickly. My dialed back pace for most runs would have been my race pace a couple years ago!

For 6 months, I layered the workouts into my schedule wherever I could. Before work, during lunch, after work. Before and after church. It needs to be said that this can’t and probably shouldn’t be attempted without a supportive family. 

Over the final weeks, Mike and I worked out a high level plan for the race. It boiled down to: average 170 watts on the bike so I have energy on the run, target a 7:30 pace on the run, fuel and stay hydrated.

To keep an eye on my wattage I set my Garmin Edge up on my bike so I could see it without having to constantly glance at my watch. I would set my watch to multi sport mode and capture the overall race data including transitions. 

RACE DAY

They say everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth. It should follow that your response to that punch is key. 

The Swim (27:36)

The first punch came almost as soon as I got into the water. It was pretty crowded in the river and wow did I get kicked...a lot! A couple of times pretty hard right in the ribs. The key to open water swimming in traffic is to stay calm and be like Dory. Just keep swimming!

 

Somehow in my nervousness before the race I hadn’t set my watch up correctly to multi sport mode. I only realized this when I got out of the water. This meant that I wouldn’t be able to capture my transition times and would have no idea of my total time. I would just have to be as quick as possible. 

The Bike (2:54:26)

The 2nd punch came as soon as I got on the bike. My Garmin didn’t sync with my power meter. I would have no idea what my power was. This created a pretty interesting challenge. I could ride too hard and find myself walking 13.1 miles or dial it back, go by feel and make my best guess, which could end up leaving some time on the course if I didn’t go hard enough. 

The course has a few climbs on it. I put an 11-32 cassette on the rear wheel before the race, which was very helpful in reducing the intensity of some of the climbs as well as allowing me to spend more time in the big ring up front while still keeping my cadence high. 

I’ll never know what my power was, but based on my ride time and how the run turned out it must have been in the ballpark of the goal wattage. 

The Run (1:54:32)

The third punch, and the only one I knew was coming, was the hilly run course. Over 800 ft of climbing was going to be tough on a normal day. This one also happened to be hot. 

I decided in advance that I would carry a bottle of Infinit fuel on the run and take advantage of the aid stations to keep it icy and topped off. I stopped at every single aid station to grab some ice for my bottle and to tuck under my hat. This probably cost me 5-10 minutes total, but given the conditions I felt like it was important. 

Aside from walking one particularly steep hill around mile 11, I was able to keep a pretty decent run pace . I finished the run in 1:54:32, which is a PR for me not only off the bike, but in a stand alone half marathon. 

Summary

Official finish time was 5:24:05. Nearly 6 minutes faster than my goal! 

Putting in the time and working with a coach was key to a big payoff. I’ve been asked if hiring a coach was worth it and for me it absolutely was. Just going through the testing showed me that I was capable of more than I realized and capable of more improvement than I thought. That in itself was a huge confidence builder. In the past I would have set the bar too low. 

In looking at the final standings it’s clear that my biggest area for improvement is on the bike. Of the 55 people in my age group that finished ahead of me, I had a faster run than 19 of them. The gap is definitely on the bike leg. 

Official Race Stats

Swim - 27:36

T1 - 4:11

Bike - 2:54:26

T2 - 3:21 (includes a bathroom break)

Run - 1:54:32

Total Time: 5:24:05

Age group - 55 of 209

Gender - 349 of 1437

Overall - 445 of 2226

A Very Carefully Curated List of the Top Reasons You Should do a Triathlon

Whenever someone I know or someone I meet finds out that I've done triathlons, they almost always say, "I've thought about doing one, but....

..."I don't swim very well"

..."I don't have a bike"

..."I don't have time"

..."I can't afford all the fancy gear"

....and much much more.

I'll address those points later. What this tells me is that for everyone that's done a triathlon, there are many who are interested and just haven't made the leap. With that in mind, here is my very carefully curated list of the top reasons (in no particular order) you should do a triathlon. 

You CAN do it

Competing in anything is a great way to confront and overcome self-doubt. You only have to finish one race to know you can do it. The goal of a first race should be to finish. Having that experience under your belt will give you confidence not only for your next race, but in other areas of your life!

You don't need a fancy bike

I did my first race on a $50 mountain bike. I replaced the knobby tires with some slick tires I picked up at the local shop. It weighed a ton and it was ugly, but it was all I needed for a first race. 

You don't need to be a great swimmer

My goal for my first few races was to swim comfortably enough and slow enough to keep my heart rate down and get safely out of the water on the other end. I wasn't above breast-stroking or floating on my back to catch my breath and/or regroup. The secret to swimming is staying calm. 

You probably have more time than you think

Swim once or twice a week for 20 minutes, Bike twice a week for 30 minutes, run twice a week for 30 minutes. Do this for 8 to 10 weeks leading up to your first race. There's your triathlon starter pack. Yes you can invest a lot more time, but to finish your first sprint this will do.

We Have All Been Where You Are

Everyone that has completed a triathlon, won an age group, won a race or gone pro was once someone who thought about trying a triathlon. Everyone wants you to do well and enjoy your race.

The sense of accomplishment

The sense of accomplishment you will feel crossing the finish line is amazing every......single....time! I get emotional finishing every race. It doesn't matter if it's a sprint or an Iron Distance race. 

Being Outdoors

Running and riding outside is awesome, especially when the weather is nice! It's also a little addicting.

Being Indoors

In truth, indoor training isn't that much fun, but it will make you mentally tougher. 

Swag

Almost every race has swag in the form of a shirt, hat, stickers, or water bottles. 

Window Stickers

They're cheap, and I dare you to resist the urge to put a "swim.bike.run" sticker on your car once you've finished a triathlon!

Medals

A lot of races now give finisher medals. They're fun, unique, and symbolic of your achievement. 

More Friends

Don't be surprised if you walk away from your first race with several new friends that you really enjoy staying in touch with. Also, don't be surprised if you find yourself planning future races with one or more of your new friends. 

It can take you places

The popularity of the sport makes it pretty easy to find races nearby. Once you've done a race or two, it's not unusual to start considering races further out. I can do a whole season of racing in and around Louisville, but I've made trips to Columbus, Ohio and Austin, Texas for races.

Bikes are cool

Enough said. You'll agree. 

Bikes are gateways to other bikes

Ok. This may not be true for everyone, but I couldn't wait to buy a road bike after finishing my first race on a mountain bike. 

Bikes are eco-friendly

Once you start riding, you will find other ways and times to ride. You'll reduce your carbon footprint!(Try to couple that with driving less and reducing your use of plastic straws)

If you can learn, you can swim

I know a guy in his late 50s that can complete a Half IronMan in just over 5 hours. For those new to triathlons, that's pretty fast. That's faster than I can do it at age 39 (Though I hope to change that). You would be amazed to find out that he LEARNED TO SWIM in his 40s! 

Yes. you can learn to swim. 

Your perspective will change

Crossing the finish line for the first time confirms you can do it. It'll be easier from now on. It will no longer be an accomplishment that is off in the distance. As a result...

Your confidence will grow

As you can imagine, this benefits you in immeasurable ways and has implications in all areas of life. Congratulations! 

You'll hate it

It doesn't matter how many races you do and it doesn't matter the distance. There is always a moment where you are filled with dread. It might be in anticipation of a tough workout or it might be in the middle of a race. This is normal and a test of your grit. 

You'll love it

Every dreadful moment that you push through is followed by a sense of accomplishment. Over time you will look forward to the tough workouts and tough races. Overcoming each one affirms your strength and builds your confidence.

You'll wonder why you did it

Full disclosure. Racing brings pain. You will have times in a race or after where you wonder why you thought it was a good idea. In my experience these moments are fleeting. At the end of my first Half Iron Distance I told my wife one was enough. It was only a few months later I was planning my next.

You'll do it again

See above. I don't know why, but I always want to have a race on the calendar.

Your goals will change

The goal of the first race and the goal of the 10th race may be to finish. You will find yourself competing with yourself to finish faster than before, or to finish a longer race, or to finish on the podium. 

You'll be better...

...in a number of ways. Your clothes will fit differently. Your attitude towards yourself will improve. Your time management will be better, etc. This point itself is worthy of an entirely separate blog post.

The Eating

I started triathlon as a way to lose weight (I was up 50 pounds) and minimize the amount of time I was running. I was surprised to learn that I was able to eat pretty much the same (or more) and the weight fell off. 

Music

A lot of races have DJs or music. It really adds a great atmosphere to the event and provides a mental breather as you race.

Strava

Unlike other social media platforms, it is all encouragement, all the time!

The Community

The triathlon community is amazing! Encouragement, energy, friends. It's all there. Most cities have clubs made up of triathletes at all experience levels. It's a wonderful thing to get involved with. 

Free swim caps!

As you rack up races, you will never buy another swim cap!

Data

At first it's like a foreign language, but as time goes by you'll know your FTP, tempo pace, Max Heart rate, etc. and you'll know what it all means. 

The Fashion

You may be worried about being seen publicly in lycra tri kits, but everyone else is wearing the same thing so you won't care. 

Competitors come in all shapes and sizes

In all likelihood you will do better than you thought you would. You will also finish ahead of some folks you didn't think you would and get beaten by some  you didn't think you would. You cannot judge a triathlete by appearance. Trust me. 

It's a gateway

To more races....

to another bike...

to breakthroughs...

to mental toughness...

to self-confidence...

the list goes on...

You'll inspire someone

There are people watching you that will notice what you're doing. You won't know that. They may or may not say something to you, but they will see what you're doing and it will motivate them to do something!! That in itself, aside from all the points in this post, makes it all worthwhile!!

You'll be smarter with your time

We all have busy schedules. It's not difficult to find 30 minutes here and there, but as you catch the triathlon bug you will find yourself working hard to increase 30 minute workouts to 45 and 60 minute workouts. The best advice I can offer is to put family first, work second, and look for opportunities in the gaps to get your workouts in. It may be early in the morning, during lunch or in the evening. 

You'll Be In the Moment

There is no such thing as multitasking. I'm a better dad, husband, leader and colleague when I'm focused. The key is focusing and not being distracted. When you're home, focus on your role at home. When you're at work, focus on your role at work. When you're working out, let that be your focus. Plan ahead and these areas will compete less.

Learning

It takes little knowledge of the sport to get involved. Once you've completed a race, the opportunities to learn are boundless. The more you get to learn about the nuances of training each discipline, the more you can improve and mark your improvement in each. 

It's Easier to Sleep

Before triathlon, the stress of work often led to trouble sleeping. After triathlon....Zzzzzz

It's Easier to Wake Up

I don't know why, but it just is. 

Your Heart Will Thank You

Who has two thumbs and a resting heart rate of 54? This guy!! 

It's pretty simple. It's good for your cardiovascular health. I won't quote the stats here, but heart disease is a problem in our country. Google it. 

It Will Occupy Your Thoughts

Just do a race. Tell me if you don't think about it and contemplate another one. If I'm wrong, I'll remove this point in the blog.

You Will Inspire Someone

Yes. I said this twice. What?

It Doesn't Matter How You Finish

Finishing is an achievement! Plain and Simple. We were all there once and we are proud of you! We will celebrate with you!

There is a Distance for Everyone

The best place to start is with the sprint distance. (Swim is anywhere from 400-800m. Bike usually 8-20 miles. Run is typically a 5k or less.) It's my preferred distance. Up from there is the Olympic (or International) Distance (1500m swim, 40km bike, 10km run). Then you have the Iron Distance. Half Iron (1.2 mile Swim, 56 mile bike, 13.1 mile run) and Iron Distance (2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike, 26.2 mile run)

There are Races Near You

You just have to know where to look. Good starting points are active.com and Google.

It's Something New

Most of us enter the sport as adults with no experience. Some sooner and some later. I was 31 when I entered my first race. That's pretty normal and comes with a healthy dose of self-doubt. It also comes with a sense of curiosity and excitement!

New Goals

Entering the triathlon world gives you new goals to achieve if you're an athlete from another sport. Maybe you're an experienced runner who could run a sub 16 minute 5k in your 20s, but you're 40 something now and you know that's behind you. Perhaps you're an accomplished swimmer looking for a new challenge. Entering triathlon gives you new goals to set and break through!

You Won't Regret It

It doesn't matter if you do one race or many. You will always be able to say you have done a triathlon, and you will be able to say it with pride and a sense of achievement!!