Recently in Tri Category

I'm a little late to the party of showing off the new Evotri bike: The Quintana Roo CD0.1. It's been a whole mess of getting the bike frame, moving, then unboxing from the move, schedule conflicts, busy work, busy life, and all of a sudden it was November. But finally, I was able to get over to the sweet confines of SBR Coaching and Rocket Bicycle Studio to see my sweet steed all put together, shiny and new.

The SBR/RBS complex is quite the facility. You walk into an open area where there's stadium seating for not one, but two projectors. Except the seating isn't leather recliners, but rather a dozen linked CompuTrainers. It is really, really sweet. (This winter they're a part of an indoor race series from all over the US and Canada. More Info - PDF) In the back is the bike studio, complete with a GURU dynamic fit unit. And the day I was there, they were going to outfit a room with several TRX devices to offer the pleasurable pain that only TRX users love. The whole place is one block off the Ironman Wisconsin bike course and the infamous Fireman's Park in Verona. In warmer months, they open the doors at 6 A.M. to support all the riders that visit. (And we're working out some things for WIBA, so stay tuned for exciting news there!)

But let's go back to the Quintana Roo...

It was in August when we first got shipment of the CD0.1. (Many, many thanks to HUB Endurance and Quintana Roo for the connections and facilitating the sponsorship. I really look forward to the partnership and know that good things will come of it.) I was in the midst of packing after selling it our house, so the bike got no love. For the team announcement, I slapped the wheels on and set it on my porch for some shots:

So sad without a seat, drive-train, or anything else...

But a new bike will make anyone smile

Then it went back into its box to get moved to my parents' basement. And like Harry Potter, it stayed in the dark depths under stairs until its eleventh birthday - or at least that's what it felt like until I could recover it in October. I immediately took it over to the SBR/RBS studio for some much needed love, along with the old bike that had all of my components on it. Jess had me get on the old steed, which gave her quite the fright. She immediately knew that things were all wrong, wrong, wrong. My angles, reach, and other terminology were all drastically off, but she promised to fix it. She made some notes, and we talked about a few things and turned things over to Pete and the bike shop to build things back up.

It was sometime later that Pete had the QR mostly built so I could get my final measurements before they cut the aerobars and put all the final pieces on. Jess and I talked through positions, seat angle, and the ever-important comfort vs. aerodynamics. We settled on comfort and left options open for a more aero fit when I get in shape. With that, it went back to Pete for the final touches.

So finally, after some life-getting-in-the-way-of-fun issues, we got together again at the studio. Pete did a wonderful job pulling it all together. As soon as I got on, both he and Jess commented on how much better I fit. Jess made a few tweaks to the seat height and angle, and then a final tweak to the aerobar angle, and I was set. I decided to go with a little flash and Pete obliged with red cable housing to offset the black frame and give a little pop. It looks freakin' sweet.

Jess making sure everything fits

Pete tightening everything down

Cockpit close-up

It looks fast just sitting there

Now entering its sixth year, the members of Team Evotri continue to challenge themselves and others to live a healthy and active lifestyle through endurance sports. They have been given an extraordinary opportunity to train and race with the same equipment and coaching as the pros. They continue to dedicate themselves to maximizing their potential, to sharing what they learn from their experiences, and to making a positive contribution to the endurance sport community.

Team Evotri is again ready to welcome a new member to the family. For 2012, Team Evotri and its sponsors have pulled together a one-of-a-kind package to provide an age group athlete the opportunity to train and race like a PRO, while giving back to the triathlon and endurance community. The current team members will be looking for an individual who embraces the spirit of triathlon: a positive attitude, enthusiasm for the sport, desire to improve, and dedication to give back to the endurance community. Years of triathlon experience and good race results are not deciding factors in choosing a winner, but passion is.

The next team member will benefit by receiving an excellent package courtesy of the team's sponsors:

• QuintanaRoo will provide a top-of-the-line CD0.1  frameset with innovative shift technology that will undoubtedly take your bike splits to a new level.
• Zipp Speed Weaponry knows just how to outfit a frame like the CD0.1 with a 404 front and 808 rear wheel set.


• SRAM will add to the bike with its latest cockpit and drivetrain components.
• CycleOps finishes the bike off with its cutting edge SL+ wireless PowerTap hub and Joule 2.0 computer.
• HUB Endurance puts it all together providing a full year of expert triathlon coaching to deliver the newest Evotri athlete to the top of their potential in 2012.

Here's how you can be the next Team Evotri member:
Create a video that's no longer than three (3) minutes. The video should answer the following three questions:

1. Why Evotri?
2. Why You?
3. Can you Evotri?

Guidelines:

• Videos must be posted to Team Evotri's Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/evotri.
• Videos must be posted by December 31, 2011, at 11:59 PM CST.
• Videos not within the time constraints will not be considered.

Process:

• The current team members will select finalists from the video submissions.
• The finalists will be notified by January 15, 2012 and will be invited to be interviewed via teleconference by current team members.
• The winner will be announced on February 1, 2012.

Important Notes:

• By posting a video to Evotri's Facebook page, candidates grant contest affiliates permission to use said video for promotional purposes affiliated with Team Evotri and the 2012 contest.
• The winner of the team slot forfeits all awards if he/she is unable to continue as a team member for any reason for a period within two years of joining the team.
• The winner of the team slot agrees to contribute to the Team Evotri web site for as long as he/she is a member of Team Evotri.
• The winner agrees to race in an Evotri team uniform for all multisport events. Winner to purchase choice of uniform apparel upon final selection.
• The winner of the team slot must participate in the yearly Team Evotri event. The 2012 event is a training camp in Chattanooga, TN from April 12-15, 2012. You must be present for the entire time.
• No reimbursement will be made by Team Evotri or its sponsors for the creation, submission or any other expenses associated with the video entry.
• No reimbursement will be made by Team Evotri or its sponsors for any travel, lodging, race entry fees, or other associated expenses in attending Team Evotri activities.

We've been teasing about Evotri's latest bike sponsor for the past few weeks, so I'm happy that I can now announce that Quintana Roo will be a big part of Team Evotri starting right now! You can read the whole press release at the Team Evotri site.

I'm looking forward to getting the bike set up as soon as I can. In the mean time, here's a shot of me with my CD0.1 and another discussing the finer points of the Shift Technology with my daughter, who just had to be in the picture.

If there were any doubts about how I felt at the finish, the friendly folks at Action Sports International were kind enough to record it. Go to my photo page and look for me to finish about five seconds in. (After the guy in green.)

Here it is in three still shots (Courtesy of ASI):

It wasn't until the finish chute that my body acted up. I stopped running, only to have two guys that I just passed, cheer me on to keep running. So I did, only to start walking again a little bit later. Finally, I convinced myself to run across the line and find a spot to sit down. I found one right on the other side of the finish arch, way to the side to stay out of other finishers' path. From there I was whisked away to the medical tent on a flexible stretcher.

On Friday night, the last thing I did after I posted my new mantra was to check the weather. It specifically stated that the best chance of thunderstorms was between 7am and 1pm, prime racing time. Then, the next morning at 5am, the radar confirmed the forecast, featuring high winds along with the rain. But, like the rest of the forecasts this year, you can count on them as far as you can throw them, which isn't very far. Setting up, it never rained, and only sprinkled as we were waiting for the waves to start. But, it stayed cloudy and humid.

The water had risen two degrees overnight and was now at 83°F - totally non-wetsuit legal. My teammate Chris showed me this cool tip where I put my top on, but don't put my arms in, pulling it down to around my waist. Then I tucked the whole thing into my shorts except for two "tabs" that I could pull out as I ran to my bike. I tested it beforehand and got some kinks worked out, so I was good to go for the race.

SWIM
After waiting for all my teammates to start before me, I finally got to go about 10 deep in my wave due to the time trial format. I got the go and went in. I think with my run in, flop, and one dolphin dive, I passed everyone who started before me who were doing the backstroke, breaststroke and I don't know what else. Since there were about 45,000 people already in the water, I stayed to the outside and took the long route to keep clear. Sure, it's longer, but likely faster since I don't have to worry about zig-zagging around everyone else along the buoys. I kept in the moment and made sure my stroke was long and smooth as possible. I got into a nice groove, especially into the slight wind and chop. On the beach and ran up the chute, I perfectly executed the new top tip and ran into transition.

Swim Time: 23:37.7, 2nd in AG

Transition was a big place, but I found my bike, got the shoes on and nearly took off without my helmet.

BIKE
The main goal was to be above 20mph average. The course is winding and urban, with lots of cracks and potholes to avoid. Sections were busy with other competitors, but roads were closed, so there was plenty of room. I was really humming along, and the legs were fatigued from a lack of training, but my Joule & PowerTap said I was within acceptable power limits, so I kept going, keeping myself in the moment as much as possible, though I remember passing some houses and thinking those were really big and cool looking. But, I snapped back to the race and pressed on. I got to see my cousin and her family out on the course, too. My total distance came out to be mile long, which was confirmed by others. Officially, I averaged 21.8mph, so I'll take it.

Bike Time: 1:10:20.9, 24th in AG

My second transition left a lot to be desired. When I saw the radar before the race, I smartly put my socks in a bag inside of my bag to keep them dry. Only problem was that I forgot to take them out before the race. I momentarily "lost" them and had my shoes on - sockless (which I never have done) before I checked one last time in my bag and found the bag. I got them on as quickly as possible and got out of there. Needless, to say, my transition time was below average.

RUN
It took the first mile to get my legs used to running. (Personal note: Must do more some bike-run brick workouts.) Once I started to feel good, I focused on running the straightest line of the winding path, which helped to stay in the moment. I also started to worry about Michelle, who started before me but I likely passed in the swim. At the only point on the course that's out & back, I see her about two minutes back. My new goal becomes to prevent her from passing me before I get done with the first loop. But, she doesn't. Buoyed by this, I confidently press ahead. When I see her at the out & back again, she's only gained about 30 seconds. I pressed harder.

Must. Not. Let. Michelle. Catch. Me.

I press again when I see a green sign marking the course, only it's not the 6-mile mark that I thought it was, it's the 2-mile mark for the first lap. Do I hold back? No, I'm in the moment, so I keep pressing. Finally, there's the turn off to the finishing chute. I see Chris is done and Sarah is with him taking pictures. I pass looking grimly and enter the finish chute. Then things got fuzzy.

Run Time: 46:58.6, 25th in AG
Total Time: 2:25:45.9, 9th in AG

Once in the med tent, a few people started asking all sorts of questions. I readily answered them, even jokingly. I was just really, really hot. Then they said they couldn't get a temperature from my skin. They'd have to go anally. That's when all the joking stopped. None of my persuasions would change their mind. I guessed that I was around 101°F. Turns out that I was at 104°F. Into the ice bath for me! After ten minutes, I was back on the lounge chair under cold towels, mentally readying myself for a second temperature check. My lack of joking concerned them a bit, but I was busy mentally making my temperature go down. This time, I was below the magical threshold of 100 at 99.9°F. I could go! Many thanks to Brian, Tracy and Christi who stayed with me while I cooled down.

SUMMARY
This is a great race. There were lifeguards every fifty yards on the swim course. There were at least two volunteers at every crossing, corner and turn on the bike course. (Some were better than others, but at least they were there.) From first hand experience, the med tent was top notch. For as big as it is, it was well run - even with the potentially dangerous weather.

My race went really, really well - even with the sock issue - right up until I finished. I don't know what got me so hot, but I was satisfied with my mental state throughout the race, pushing through racing pain and getting myself to the end. Despite the probing, I'm going to consider this race a success and learn from it. I'll probably come back next year and do my best to avoid the med tent.

Since my last post, I noticed in a couple of runs that I let my mind wander while working out. Just like I did during Crazylegs - where my first thought when Michelle ran away from me was that we never talked about where to meet up after the race - I am never totally focused on the task I'm doing. I'm easily distracted, always following whatever my mind comes up with next. I see the same thing in my 18-month old. You tell her to bring back her hair brush, and along the way she reads a book, talks to her doll, and eventually brings you a stuffed animal that was in the next room. Totally how my mind seems to work. It's like we're on the same wavelength, except that's normal for people her age.

So my new mantra is "In the moment." It's a reminder that I need to be mindful and stay focused on where I am, what I'm doing, and how I'm doing it. I can feel a difference when I remind myself that I'm running. My back straightens, my stride shortens, and my speed picks up without any extra effort. On the bike, my pedal strokes become more circular, my head stays up, and my breathing calms. I hope to keep this going at the Lifetime Minneapolis race tomorrow. I'm going to need something special to have a good day.

[If you feel like tracking me via txts, I'm #909.]

Mari introduced this morning's track workout as "Junk in the Trunk." Its intent is to get your body to produce lactic acid, then teach it to deal with the build-up when your body can't flush it fast enough - the junk in the trunk. To get the junk in the trunk, the workout is to run 1000 meters at 5k pace, jog for 400m, then run 300m at 3K pace, then walk for 100m. Repeat that four times. Can you say ouch? Good, I thought so.

Now, add to that the fact that this group includes the who's who of Madison triathlon and running. (There's a "varsity" group that will lap the rest of us every workout.) I struggle to keep pace during warm-up and never can keep up during warm-down. (Seriously, I don't belong.) For me, it's a huge mental effort to keep in touch with any legs in front of me. I have a very easy time letting my mind wander, drift, and provide excuses for why I'm not fast, or I'm tired, or I should be in bed, or...(you get the picture).

Anyways, I made it to the last set, which is a feat unto itself, and at the start of the 1000, I'm talking myself into finishing, continuously providing positive feedback, "800 to go;" "keep your form;" "what happened to those sprinklers? I'm hot." When, at the 400m mark, for no reason, I stop. It was a moment like when you get a "blue screen of death" on your computer. One moment, things are going along, and then POOF! things go ka-flooey and you're stopped in your tracks. I don't know what caused my issue, but I got my head back into the game and started to run again, finished out the 1000, cut across the field to catch up during the 400 recovery and finished out the 300 with the group.

I know I can complete the workout. I know that I'm slower than the rest. I know that is okay. And I know that this hard work will make me better. But, there's something in my brain that shuts things down when I try and break through. Maybe I'm thinking too much? Not enough? Thoughts?

There's nothing that competes more for your time than a child. Add to that projects around the house, increased responsibilities at work, additional side jobs at home and you're left with no time to train. And we all know that training is more important than racing. Thus, I left all expectations at home for the 2011 Capitol View Triathlon (sprint course) and promised myself that I would go hard the whole time.

The morning was full of sun, calm, and cooler temps - perfect race conditions. I got to transition early and saw a bunch of folks I knew walking in. I even got to rack my bike next to XT4 - an alphabetical bonus! Then, it was a bunch of waiting during the Olympic distance waves. As we waited, I noticed that lots of them were walking in to shore really slowly as they finished the swim. I chalked it up to tiredness from long efforts. Then, finally, it was my turn. On the horn, it was immediate dolphin dives and a sprint to the first buoy. Now in the clear, I eased up but still kicked the whole time. Around the next turn buoy, I merged with Olympic distance traffic and worked my way back to the beach. It was real shallow and for a long time and I barely maintained my stroke with the added bonus of high-elbow drill to prevent the finger tips from dragging in the water. As I got closer to shore, the water got murkier. And when I made my first attempt to stand up, my foot sank six inches into muck. OK, so we'll dolphin dive our way in. Head down, back into even murkier water. I stood up again with a strong desire for a toothbrush. So this is why everyone was walking. Each step sank into the muck, making it nearly impossible to run in. I kind of half-fell on my side / half-dolphin dived my way to shore. Once on the beach it was easier, then over the river and through the woods to grandma's house - I mean transition. (It was that far.)

Transition was a large parking lot in a state park. Evidently they don't sweep it often as my feet were tingling from stepping on all the little stones and pebbles leftover from the winter sand. Into my shoes, helmet, glasses, to the mount line and out on to the road. Time to hammer.

And hammer I did. Though hilly, the 10.5 mile course is ripe to put the pedal to the floor the entire time: stand to power up the hills, tuck in tighter to maximize aero downhill, lean into the three or four turns, turn around and do it over on the way back. Fun! I managed to keep things above 20mph, so I considered my fifth ride outside a success.

Now back into transition and out to the run. All cross-country, the run is deceptively hard. The first mile and half winds through the hills and trees, while the last half is all on long prairie grass, wet from the morning dew and long from a lack of cutting. But through it all, I pushed to the end.

It's amazing how results skew the efforts. My results were pleasant. For a brief moment, I was first in my age-group and seventh overall. Then two people suddenly appeared (including one from my age group as the overall winner,) and I was dropped to second in the age-group and ninth overall. But, had I not been able to brag about "podium" (there was no awards ceremony) finishes, this report would've been more about how sore I am with a whiny angle about a lack of training.

Final stats:

Swim: 5:19.4
T1: 1:40.7
Bike: 30:23.6
T2: 1:24.8
Run: 24:46.3
Overall: 1:03:34.8
9th Overall, 2nd M35-39

I've got my first triathlon race of 2011 Sunday and I feel like it's my first one.

I don't have a good sense of where my fitness is at. In the pool (because I haven't been in open water yet.) I have a good day, then nearly sink to the bottom the next. I can count the number of times I've been outside on my bike on one hand and still have a thumb left over. And when I'm out there, I feel like my tires are flat. My one saving grace is the run. I've been pushing Elsa in the B.O.B., which is about thirty extra pounds to manage. Despite this, I average about 20-30 seconds faster per mile than when I'm not pushing her. Go figure. And, my last two sessions at the track have been breakthroughs, sticking with the group.

Besides all that, I have been mentally going through my list of things I need and I feel like I'm forgetting something already. I'm going to start setting my stuff out first thing in the morning and double checking them all day.

And then there's the weather. It was in the nineties through Wednesday. Then, minor tornadoes, hail, and rain blow through Wednesday night and we're stuck in the sixties. Saturday night's low is expected to be in the forties, so it will be an interesting morning in the water. Lake temps are around 65°F.

Nonetheless, it's time to go racin'! Should be a fun day!

This ecard from someecards.com totally sums up how I feel about how my fitness level. This spring didn't even really exist. We're closing in on Memorial Day weekend and I haven't even taken off the cover on our air conditioning unit. The lack of sun and warm temps and excessive rain has tricked my mind in thinking that I can just press pause on my training until the weather improves and then I can start.

Well, the calendar doesn't lie and I've got my first triathlon of the year in just over two weeks. Just this past Sunday was my first outside bike ride of 2011. I couldn't really remember when the last time I ridden outside until I caught my reflection in my Joule 2.0 and I saw my race number on my helmet from Rev3 Cedar Point. That was last September -- more than eight months ago! Not only was I embarrassed for the 20+ miles that I had ridden with it on my helmet, but it really it home how behind I am in training.

Time to get my ass in gear and get this summer going!