Good to be getting back

We are now officially in triathlon and roadbiking's "off-season", where races are sparse, and most racers go into semi-hibernation, with long easy rides and runs with little hard speedwork. I admit that I've never been a fan of such an off-season, as I feel that consistency with training is crucial. The longer and harder I can train throughout the year, the better I tend to do, although I will admit that after a dedicated 70+mpw marathon training program, there's no way around some down-time to rejuvenate the mind and body.

My priority this winter will have to be swimming, as it's absolutely killing my placement in all my triathlons. I'm making every effort to get in 4, if not 5 solid swims per week of 45-90 minutes each. The good thing is that I think I'm finally making peace with swimming. I've gotten to the point where it's not incredibly frustrating to swim, and I am now good enough that I can actually get quality cardio workouts from my swimming. I was surprised to actually be looking forward to my swim workouts for the first time, as I'm eager to see the benefits that I can accrue when putting in some real workout time on the swim. Already in the past 2 weeks back, I have adopted a more balanced dual-sided breathing approach such that it feels comfortable on both sides, and have also incorporated 200 meter repeats into my interval repertoire. My swim pace hasn't changed much, but on the bright side, I'm easily passing guys in my pool (no fast swimmers in my Ballys!) who were at my speed or faster just a few months ago. This is mostly due to technique, as I've spent almost an entire year now continuously refining my stroke and body position so that it works smoothly.

I've also accepted the reality that in terms of talent for swimming or cross-over from my other aerobic abilities, it's pretty much zero. I haven't made any rapid gains as would be expected from a talented person, and even with coach-approved good fundamental technique, I'm still swimming slowly for a triathlete. I suspect it may take another years for me to get my swim ability to middle of the pack, but I'm hopeful that it will all come together as it did for running. That said, it's definitely exciting to have a whole new discipline of sport that isn't near "maxxed out" like my running is.

Cycling, on the other hand, is something that I definitely have both talent and x-over benefits from. Ever since I got on my Cervelo for the first time, I was a FOP (front-of-pack) triathlon rider. My large glutes and quads allow me to power up hills and sprints with the strong guys, and my aerobic fitness gained from marathon running allows me to outlast the competition. My rides in the past 2 weeks were no exception, as I promptly threw down 2 weekend 5-hour hillfest rides, and even being notably out of shape from nearly 3 weeks completely off the bike, was still easily in front with the intermediate triathlon group. It's nice to be strong at the bike, but the drawback is also that I end up taking the ability for granted. I have had no inclination or desire to formulate a dedicated, incremental training plan (a la Pfitzinger's 70+mpw marathon plan) for cycling, mainly because I'm pretty satisfied with my cycling results. To break myself out of this "rut", I am planning to join the local pure roadies for their fast "Simi Valley Ride" this winter, which amasses all the fastest local riders, over 200 of them, and hammers along a 70 mile route through the Santa Monica mountains. That should humble me very quickly into getting my act together!

I know that at least a few friends who still follow my sports exploits have been encouraging me to get back into marathon as well. For sure, I've relegated running to the backburner in the past year, doing enough to maintain a good speed, but definitely sliding back in terms of performance. Well, it's still very tentative, but I am actually considering running the LA Marathon on 3/21/09! The key words here are CONSIDERING and RUNNING - not RACING, which for me, is a very big difference. I would be using this race to get somewhat back to my running roots, and to enjoy the new marathon course which runs from Dodger Stadium downtown LA to the beach (finally!) in Santa Monica. That sounds like a lot of fun! I will definitely not be racing this one for a PR or BQ time, however, as I am certain I won't be able to do a proper buildup given a big trip in February and my swim-focused training this winter-spring. Still, I would train seriously for it if I signed up, and put up a 3:30ish pace if at all possible. It's certainly on my radar.

Overall though, it's good to be back and training. I really missed it while I was away from it, and I really felt that I was getting back to being me by putting in some good honest hours on the run/bike/swim since I've been back.

I hate mechanicals on the bike

I've had a rash of "mechanical" errors on the bike in the past 2 months. Most of them were due to a rear tire issue because I had broken one of the screws on the frame, but on my weekend ride, I had a flat tire, which required some careful navigation and stopping on a screaming descent with cars to not wipe out. Fortunately, I made it through that entire 70 mile ride without any further mishap, and since changing my frame screws, my rear wheel is working great.

Fast forward to this morning. I got onto my bike and out the door at 6AM to join the LaGrange bike hill sprints this morning at 6:30AM. Keep in mind it's pitch black right now at 6-6:30AM, so I've got a headlight, rear blinkers, and am not really enjoying myself at all yet because I absolutely hate riding my bike in the dark due to safety issues.

The ride got started fair enough, and less than 1 mile into the ride, "BAM!" I hear a huge sound like a big balloon popping, and my front tire immediately goes limp. This was at first just a minor setback for me, as I figured I could change the tire quickly and rejoin the group on their 2nd-4th loops. However, as I pulled off the tire, I noticed one of the edges had run ragged. I suspect that I improperly mounted the tire on my last flat episode, and then my brake pad probably wore it down until it popped. Major bummer - there goes a fairly new $40 tire and a $3 inner tube.

So as of now, I seem to be "cursed" whenever I join the LaGrange ride, as I've managed to complete zero of the last THREE outings I had with them on weekday mornings. I don't know whether to be sad or glad, as I most of these mechanicals have been significant ones that immediately ended my ride, and these weekday rides have meant I've been close to home or my car. On today's mechanical, the torn tire meant that I lost complete use of the front brake since the front tire was bulging, and thus I limped home on the rear brake alone, which is much inferior on road bikes and definitely not something you want to do for more than 15minutes. If I had suffered similar mishaps during my long weekend 70+ mile, 5 hr rides, there could have been some serious problems along they way. But so far, no major problems on the big rides.

I think I'll be able to solve this problem quickly once I get a new tire and inspect the wheel a final time, but lesson learned for me - after a road flat, be very careful about remounting the new inner tube and tire, and then recheck the mount a second time at home in a more controlled environment.

2 weeks off and feelin' it

I just took the last 2 weeks completely off any sort of athletic activity, right after finishing the LA triathlon. I partly planned it this way, and part of it was due to life, which tends to get in the way, but it was worth the time off - I ran off and got married in New York last week! I'm not going to expound upon it here as I don't like to get my personal life all out in my triathlon/run blog, but suffice to say it was a wonderful ceremony with great weather (for upstate New York, that is!) and a lovely honeymoon in Kauai, Hawaii, which was my first time there.

I don't have any races or events planned for the upcoming future, so part of the plan in this down/off season for me is to get a schedule in place to keep my motivation up. I would ordinarily plan for something big, like an Ironman or another BQ attempt, but spring of 2010 will be a very busy time for me, as I will likely be in Germany for 4 weeks followed up immediately by radiology board examination preparations. Believe it or not, the 4 weeks in Germany (and NOT the radiology board preparations) is the thing holding me back from a big spring-summer race, as I doubt I will be able to train to a satisfactory level for myself while out there.

I did a mellow 5 mile run yesterday, and my quads are already sore. It's amazing how rapidly you decondition after doing absolutely nothing. On the bright side, I've found that ability tends to come back very quickly, so I'm expecting to be back in some sort of decent shape in 3-4 weeks. I'm hoping to figure out some sort of serious swimming strategy for the winter season when light is short, so I can fill that hole in my triathlon repertoire.

2009 LA Triathlon Race Report

LA Triathlon 10-4-09 Sunday

Olympic Distance

Willis Huang M30-34

2:35:02, AG 26/133, Overall 160/802

Swim (1500m): 40:53 (2:43/100m), 102/133AG

T1: 1:55, 12/133 AG

Bike (40k/24.8mi): 1:07:28, 8/133AG

T2: 2:12, 5/133AG

Run (10k/6.2mi): 42:35, 9/133AG

I participated in the Los Angeles Olympic distance triathlon this Sunday. Originally, I had planned this race to be my "A" race of the year, but my training mellowed out 3 weeks ago after the Malibu triathlon. Regardless, I did train enough to at least maintain my level of fitness and made a few tweaks to see if I could do slightly better this time around.

There were three main themes in today's race that were different from my other races this year:

1. TOUGH open water swim. Pounding waves

2. No mechanicals on the bike

3. Awesome transitions

Race pic posted online of one of the many having a rough time

The first one was out of my control, but I'm taking full credit for changes #2 and #3, both of which were significant improvements on race day. I completely solved my Cervelo rear wheel rub problem in the past 2 weeks, by both ordering specialty rear limiter screws as well as the more crucial step of switching back to my Shimano skewer and tightening it to the max before riding. Hence, no more rear wheel slippage. (Which cost me 6 minutes of downtime at the Malibu triathlon.)

My transitions also improved dramatically this time around. This was the direct result of a one-day self-practice session lasting about 90 minutes, during which I pretty much mastered all aspects of transition while riding up and down my block. (See last post for the details.) As a result, I went from a huge fear of the transition areas to loving it and going through them safely yet aggressively. If I could only get my swim to this level!

PRERACE

I rode my bike down to the Venice Beach start at 4:45AM, in the darkness. I have recently been bike commuting both at day and night, so I was well armed with reflective jacket and high-powered flashlights to ensure safety and visibility. This worked very well, as the finish line was 25 miles from the start line, and my neighbor (also a triathlete) was to pick me up at the finish. By now, everything at the prerace start is familiar, including the incessant runs to the bathroom, likely due to the efffect of cold temps on the bladder. I made 4 separate bathroom runs within a 2 hour period despite taking no additional hydration the morning of, which has become routine on race day for me. Air temps were actually a bit chilly, at 60F.

THE SWIM - BIG WAVES!

Actual photo of race surf today right after my wave

It took one look at the surf to realize that it was going to be a long day on the swim. BIG waves, and a lot of them, with no moments of calm. I made sure to get a good long warmup in the water by standing and swimming in the battery of waves to make sure I didn't panic. It didn't seem too bad in the warmup, but it was substantially more difficult once I was swimming. The race directors fortunately also let us know that there was a big north-south current. As a result, they recommended that although the first buoy was directly ahead of the swim entry, we should run 200meters north in the WRONG direction (we would swim south!) to take advantage of the current. I followed this advice, and it was spot-on correct. It looked very strange for us men to exit the swim chute on shore, and run up the beach away from the buoy - I ran so far north that I passed almost all the spectators and people warming up in the surf, as I knew as a weaker swimmer that I'd have particular problems with the current. My decision proved correct, as I swam straight out for the buoy, and landed right spot at the right time, catching up with a horde of swimmers who were clearly stronger than I was but didn't plan as well. (They left me on the straightaway.)

The real action, though, was the big surf that rolled in today. The lifeguards make the decision of whether to allow the race to continue or not, and they decided the water wasn't "dangerous", which I agree with, as there was no riptide or undercurrent. Still, this was the 2nd largest and roughest conditions I have ever faced in open water, and it was a scary swim to the first buoy and beyond. I got pounded every 15-20 seconds by wavesets. There was no break to make a dash for clear water. It also becomes very hard to hold your breath for more than 10 seconds when you're fighting the surf, so getting hit with triple wave sets becomes frightening. I very seriously nearly DNF'd at two moments in the first 100 meters, thinking "this is crazy!" I'm glad I didn't, but I certainly switched from racing to purely surviving the swim. It took me well over 8 minutes to swim the first 100 meters! (I normally do it in 2:00).

Things got marginally better for the remainder of the swim, but no question, it was a tough swim with bumpy water. Furthermore, I lost touch with the main pack in my age group about halfway through, which made it much more difficult to sight, as the weaker swimmers surrounding me were generally unreliable. Fortunately, I made it out in one piece, and didn't get destroyed by the surf on the way out. My swim time was "horrendously slow" by any stretch, but still a respectable showing for myself, as I still managed to beat 25% of my AG out of the water. God I suck at swimming!

T1 (transition 1)

I normally completely omit detailed description of the transitions in my race report, as they're short and pale in significance to the race segments. Today, though, I will expound in detail about how well this went for me, because if there is any one thing that I will remember and be proud of with today's race, it is my transitions.

As per my last post, I practiced these transitions for nearly 2 hours yesterday. That's really not saying much at all, to invest 2 hours in something as important as a transition, but that's 2 hours more than I've ever spent on them! Transitions have also been the next weak spot in my repertoire, as weak as my swim segment. In all my races to date, I've approached the transition areas with great anxiety, as I knew all the people around me would go blazing by while I clunked to a stop while not trying to fall over, all the while with the referees yelling at me to slow and dismount before reaching the line.

Today, though, was a totally different ballgame. I feel like I hit the transitions like a rock star, and my transition timing results reflect this. I left my shoes clipped to my bike this time, and had practiced running around holding the bike. I got good enough to turn both left and right at full running speed with only one hand on the saddle, with confidence. At the race, I got out of the swim, peeled off the wetsuit on the run, and got to the bike racks in time to be surrounded by 5-10 guys in my AG. I was SO glad that everyone hadn't already left me behind after that hellacious swim. I was, however, late to the party, and everyone was well ahead of me in the stripdown. I was no slouch, though, and got my wetsuit off very quickly (sleeveless suit helps a LOT) and stuffed it into a garbage bag inside my backpack, as the LA tri personnel would be ferrying our bags to the finish line - meaning that anything left unpacked would be left behind. I lost most of my time here stuffing my wetsuit into my backpack. However, once I got my bike off the rack, I was on the money. I outraced every single person whom had arrived before me and was still at the rack in the run to the mount line, mainly because I could run fairly fast with the bike in hand. I then jumped on carefully, and took off racing, gradually putting my feet into the shoes while riding at 20+mph.

As a result, my T1 was 12/133 in my AG - a FOP result. And I've always been a BOP transition guy up to now. Nice.

THE BIKE

Not much for me to say on the bike, which played out more or less as I'd expected. I honestly expected to go faster than my 1:07 split, but the slight inclines/declines as well as 2 loops requiring big slowdowns on the bike course were enough to throw off my pacing. As well, I've admittedly slacked on my bike training in the last 3 weeks, and haven't done anything particularly hardcore for training, so a supraphysiologic hammer was unreasonable. Still, it did go well, and I'm happy with the result. As with all my other races, the bike leg was the Willis-express-train where I passed hordes of cyclists continuously from start to finish. I did get passed by 2 elites on their second loop who had started before me, but on the mild uphill sections of the course, I was their equal. I'm definitely a mountain goat on the bike now - unfortunately, this course was mostly flat, so I couldn't draw upon my climbing power as I'd hoped. My overall placement result was 8/133, which actually exceeded my run placement result, so my suspicions that my bike training was improving at a rapid pace was indeed correct, and I am likely a similarly good cyclist as I am a runner.

T2

Continuing the theme of rockin' the transitions, I felt like a true rock star on T2. Nailed it on the money as planned! The bike to run transition has always been problematic for me in the past, as I've always gotten to the dismount line too fast, nearly keeled over at the abrupt stop, and then felt like an oaf as I ran through the transition area in my bike cleats.

This time, I did it like the pros, and pulled it off flawlessly. I monitored my race time carefully, and predicted when the final bike mile was coming up, and thus got my feet out of my shoes and on top of them well in advance of the bike finish. This was a critically good move, as the bike dismount happened very quickly and unexpectedly in this race, as you made a sharp right turn, then only rode 150m to a parking structure ramp with the dismount line at the top of the ramp. Nearly everybody I talked to after the race misjudged the distance after the turn, and ended up not being able to get out of their shoes in time for the ramp. I, however, was out of my shoes on time, and thus could hammer up the ramp at speed. I passed 3 cyclists like they were standing still on the ramp, and actually was going so fast that a volunteer in front of me misjuged my fast speed and didn't cross the road fast enough, causing me to nearly hit him. Fortunately, I was careful and avoided him, but I could hear him getting a verbal beatdown from the other volunteers as he'd literally walked right into my way as I was going at least 15 mph. I hit the transition line, and did an ultra-fast dismount on the uphill, and then was running at nearly full tilt through the T2 looking for my rack. My skills in bike maneuvering were key here, as I rounded two corners simply by leaning my bike from the seat, and didn't lose any speed at all. Found my spot, put my shoes and hat on, and was gone in a blink.

It really was a smokin' T2. 5th/133rd. Consdering I'm usually in the bottom 30% in T2 timing in prior races, this is a rock-star result for me!

THE RUN

I had an "ok" day on the run. No killer instinct for sure, as I couldn't tell whom I was racing against, as all the sprint triathletes were spilling onto the shared course. This course is marked by two loops up a horrifically big hill leading to the Disney Concert Hall, with an estimated 18-20% grade. Fortunately, I'm a mountain goat when it comes to running as well, so I did a ton of passing on these inclines. Noteably, there was a runner who blew by me on the flat stretches of the 2nd loop, and I expected him to increase the gap. However, we hit the hill, and within seconds, I was pulling ahead of him. I didn't seem him again until after the race, where I found out he was a relay runner and simply got stopped cold by the hill. Other highlights of the run included seeing my neighbor Jon spectating which was a treat. My run result was completely in line with my other 3 tris this year, which is a respectably fast time, but definitely "meh" when you compare it with what I normally run when I am in pure marathon racing form. 9th/133rd.

OVERALL

2:35:02 today. Slower than my Malibu triathlon result, where I suffered a 6-minute mechanical, but significantly faster than my Strawberry fields triathlon, which had a extra long swim course. I've learned that triathlon courses are remarkably variable in terms of timing, distances, and conditions. Even the transition area differences are significant between races, with some taking 5 minutes to breeze through, and some taking 10.

I was very happy with my performance today, even though I didn't break any speed records for myself. I'm proud of myself (pat self on back!) for not giving up on the swim, even though it got pretty scary out there, and I'm also taking full credit for putting the legwork into mastering my transitions and getting them into FOP territory. Today was the first triathlon in my entire tri-racing career, in which I felt that I was a legitimate, full-out participant (and not just a runner faking it as a triathlete) in the sport, with the necessary specialized skills to finish a challenging race. As a closer to this triathlon season, it was a great finish, and one that I felt captured my accrued fitness and performance from the past year.

My hot bike, my new DeSoto racing suit, and my fellow triathlete neighbor

On last note, I also decided to finally look the part of a real triathlete this time around, after seeing how disappointingly bland I've looked in my previous race pictures. I took advantage of a sale on tri-racing suits online at DeSoto, and acquired a yellow-white racing suit that I haven't seen many other athletes using. I really like it - it fits great, looks sharp, and has some well placed and useful compact pockets. I've got to say that feeling like you're looking good out there definitely helps! Here's to hoping that my race pics come out better this time around!

Post-race salt stains. Almost everybody thought it was from the ocean

Transition Practice

I can't believe it's almost race time again. I had originally signed up for the LA triathlon to be my "A" race, with the previous Malibu tri 3 weeks ago as my practice race. However, in the aftermath of Malibu (which went ok), I've been slacking a bit on training, as both the desire to not overdo it in the few weeks prerace as well as life activities have gotten in the way. Next thing I know, the LA triathlon is literally tomorrow. Yikes!

There actually was one single thing I could do to significantly improve both my performance and comfort level on the course in one day.

TRANSITIONS.

These are the oft-neglected segments leading from swim to bike, and then from bike to run, which take place in staging areas. There are two transitions: T1, and T2, which I will describe below. These transition areas are huge, as 1000+ competitors are the norm nowadays. Before the race even starts, you will have racked your bike on a long metal A-frame rack in a designated spot corresponding to your race number.

T1: Out of the swim (which comes first), and onto the bike

There is usually a 200-400m run from the waterfront/shoreline to the transition area, with a timing mat at the entry to the transition area. You immediately begin stripping off your wetsuit at the upper body level as you exit the water, then run up to your bike. Actually, most people walk or jog to their bike, and in the Malibu triathlon, I picked up 60-90 seconds alone on most people by running to my bike, which is how the pros do it. It's legal, and you all know that running is my thing, so I intend to fully maximize that! At your spot, you strip off the rest of your wetsuit, throw on your helmet & goggles. Now, the experts grab their bikes and run it to the "mount line" at the exit of the transition area - their shoes are already clipped onto their bike, and they waste no time putting their shoes on. Rookies like me usually put on our shoes while we're still standing up, then walk our bikes to the start line (it's hard to run in bicycle cleats) and then clip in and go. I intend to change this for this upcoming race!

T2: Off the bike and onto the run

The pros/experts get their feet out of their cycling shoes even before they finish the bike leg. They ride with their feet on top of their shoes for the last half mile or so, and then do a speedy dismount at the transition entry line. Rookies like me have been riding all the way to the line, then dismounting with bike shoes on, and then running through the transition area with bike cleats, which isn't as fast. You then throw your running gear on (easy) and go.

Practice makes Perfect

How important are these transition, anyway? If the average competitor takes 3 hours to finish a triathlon, these transition usually comprise 6-12 minutes of race time. I do the race in about 2hrs 30minutes, with 4-8 minutes of transition time. This doesn't seem like a lot, and indeed, for most folks who are there to either just finish the course or to test their ability on the bike/run/swim, you can neglect the transition without significantly harming your overall time.

However, even at my nonexpert level, it is extremely hard for me to cut off one lousy minute off my run or bike. I would have to train at a whole different level just to knock that minute off the race segment, whereas in transition, since I'm a beginner level there, I can knock of 1-2, if not more minutes with no additional physical conditioning.

So, today, the day before my triathlon, was transition cramming morning. I just got back from spending an entire hour riding up and down my block, mounting, dismounting, strapping in, strapping out - the works. It's not as hard as it looks, and I already feel MUCH better about the whole affair. A few tips for myself that I did learn en route that I'd like to not forget:

1) When running with the bike in hand, it's crucial to keep the pedals horizontal. Once you've got the pedals horizontal, you can run like crazy with the bike.

2) Running with your hand on the seat works better than on the handlebars

Seems totally counterintuitive, but it's true in practice - but it does take a little bit of practice to get it to work. When you run with the bike holding the seat, the pedals are out of the way of your legs, and you also have good maneuverability by leaning the bike. When you hold it by the handlebars, the pedals run smack into your legs, and you need big motions up front to steer the bike left and right. Considering that most transition areas involve at least one corner turn, it's good to practice turns while on the run. I can now do relatively small circles with full control of my bike while just holding the seat. It's really a coordination thing with your hand balancing the bike, as I can't do it at all with my unpracticed left hand.

3) Be CAREFUL on the mount if your pedals are clipped on the bike

I got good enough at the bike transitions to do most of it at race pace, but there is one area where I've learned that I absolutely must be careful and go slow and easily - the bike mount. With shoes clipped on the bike, you have to get both feet on both shoes simultaneously before pedaling. If you "miss" one of the shoes, it will flop upside down, and then get caught on the ground, which can lead to a lost unclipped shoe (happened twice to me in practice) or a total wipeout. This is the most critical thing for me tomorrow, as the bike exit is down a parking lot ramp, and if I miss the shoe entry on the downhill, I'm totally toast. Very tricky, and not at all a place for me to rush things.

4) Scoot your butt back on the seat as far as possible to manipulate the shoes on the bike

It's really hard to reach down and manipulate the straps on the shoes while cranked forward in the aero seat position. It helps a lot to scoot back as far as possible until all the way at the back of the seat to get more room to reach down.

5) The rear loop on the shoes is key for getting in/out on the bike

I never knew what that rear loop on triathlon shoes was for until I watched a youtube video that showed that it was the "key" to not having your shoes flop down the wrong way (while at speed, no less). It takes some practice to coast with one hand while reaching down and holding the rear shoe loop, but it works great and after 5 minutes, I was comfortable doing it. After an hour, I think I do it as well as the pros.

6) I still cannot even begin to do a flying dismount!

The flying dismount is the term given to dismounting the bike while it's still moving slowly by swinging one leg over the back wheel and coasting with your weight on one pedal while standing. I can't do it at all. Part of the problem is definitely my rear hydration rack which requires some serious acrobatic leg raising to get over it, but it's also pretty tough coordination wise for me. I will have to start easy by practicing on my mountain bike with regular shoes before I attempt the real thing - I felt really unstable riding with all my weight on one foot which wasn't even in the shoe.

I'll throw in another practice session later this afternoon, and hopefully I'll be good to go for the race. Not hoping for a huge PR tomorrow - just a respectable swim, no transition wipeouts, and no bike mechanicals. Although a sub 2:30PR would be nice. =)