Friday, October 31, 2014

Top 10 Triathlon Nightmares

I love the “kid” aspects of Halloween (my kids dressing up, kids coming to the door, etc), but I’m not exactly a big Halloween guy… I don’t watch horror flicks, I’m not interested in haunted houses, and I don’t dress up. I do, however, eat my share of candy.

That said, in the spirit of Halloween, here are the Top 10 “spookiest” triathlon-related nightmares, as provided by myself, some teammates, and a few other friends:


10) “It’s the classic ‘naked in T1’ nightmare for me. I exit the water and strip off my wetsuit, and only as I’m mounting my bike do I realize I’ve literally stripped. I guess all I really need to ride is a helmet and bike shoes though, right?”

9) “Who are these psycho, lycra-clad people chasing me?!?”

8) “I have a recurring dream in which the ‘swim course’ isn’t in water at all. Often times it’s sand and sometimes it’s just the ground. To complete the ‘swim’ I basically have to army crawl and ‘pretend swim’ my way to transition. I’m guessing this is accompanied with me making swimming motions on my mattress.”















7) My own, as described after IMSG 70.3 last year. "I was so focused on not missing my swim wave, but lo and behold I kept getting distracted. In my dream it was like the rest of my age group was pulling a prank on me. I’d turn my head for a second, then look up and they’d be sneaking down to the water, and I was like 'oh come on!!' They’d sheepishly come back to the shore, as if to say 'ok, ok you caught us, you caught us,' then I’d turn away again and they'd be back to their old tricks. At this point I was like oh hail no, and hustled out to the water. I made it in time, but then things got really weird. The lake transformed into a wide river with a really strong current, almost like I wasn’t swimming at all and just flowing down some rapids. Part of this involved being spun around in a whirlpool and then spit out down one of those curvy, waterpark slides."

6) “I often dream about being in the lead at a race, only to get utterly lost on the course. It’s not pleasant.”

5) “I have that dream where you realize that your next big race is only days away. You get the cold sweats and it’s absolutely terrifying… oh crap, that’s not a dream?”

4) “I often find myself in a race where the course is like a big obstacle course that sometimes includes running through someone’s house up and down different flights of stairs. These courses have a tendency to not be well-marked. Do I continue up to the 3rd floor or turn around at the master bath??”


no worries, baby, I got your bike right here!



3) “I had a crazy dream before a race one time of waking up late, driving like a mad woman to the race start, only to realize I forgot my bike. Desperately called my coach to explain where my bike was and asked him to bring it. He showed up in a Smart car with my bike in pieces. Lots of scambling. STRESSFUL. I woke up before I found out whether I could race or not.”  

2) “For me the worst nightmare was dreaming I won a race. As the crowd chanted my name I woke up to realize it was all a façade. I went on to have a truly terrible race.”

1) “Runnnnnnnning soooooo sloooooowww, cannnnnn’tt mooooooovvve myyyyyyyy leggggggsss!!”



Monday, October 27, 2014

Ironman 70.3 Silverman Race Report: Jeff Kirkland

I was so excited to run the 2014 Silverman. I had planned for months for what was my “A” race of the year. Earlier in the summer, I ran a 70.3 to test the distance and see what it would be like, but it wasn’t an Ironman event. I have to say running the official Ironman event, although more expensive, is just awesome. I was impressed by the organization and details that were involved. This was also my first destination race so I was in new territory with the travel.


The race was on Sunday, so I flew to Las Vegas late Thursday night. I arrived at the airport about 1:00am and was surprised to see my bike come sliding down the luggage carousel. I travel a fair amount and was thankful for the United priority tag on my bike. I got my car, checked into the hotel, and got a few hours of sleep.


On Friday morning, my buddy and I woke up and drove to the race check in to get things all set. I listened to the pre-race briefing and then went straight to Lake Mead to get in a swim. The water temperature at that point was 82 degrees and the outside air temperature was 93. From that point, it was back to the hotel to relax and enjoy the sunshine. I checked in my bike on Saturday and picked up a few last minute items before race day.

I started my Sunday morning bright and early at 4:00am. I wasn’t hungry at all and couldn’t eat anything at that point, but I did hydrate. I headed off to T2 to catch the shuttle bus out to Lake Mead for the swim start. As we got out of the car, race volunteers were announcing that somehow magically the water temperature was not 75.8 degrees and the race was wetsuit legal. I grabbed the Roka and hopped on the bus. Everything was well organized. When I arrived at the lake, I did my last minute check on my bike and headed to the swim start.

The swim start was a wave start. The pro men went first. I was in the seventh wave and as we approached the water with the music cranking, my nerves were going nuts. I knew I had worked hard for this and I was ready to go. I stepped in the water and before I knew it, the cannon went off and I was out for a nice 1.2-mile swim with 300 of my closest age-group friends.

The swim went great. It was a little crowded, but overall, not too bad. Another racer had the same pace as me, and we swam the entire thing next to each other. My swim time was right at 35 minutes, which was exactly where I thought I would be. It felt great getting out of the water and running to T1 as I ripped off my wetsuit.




I knew from reading race reports and looking at the Ironman website that the ride was tough, but I didn’t realize how crazy tough it really was. The first mile was up the boat ramp and that just got me to the main road. From that point on, there was one theme for the ride and that was UP! We had a total elevation gain of 5,200 feet and the air temperature was 96 degrees. 

I rode steady and was happy with my ride. I hydrated well and took nutrition when I had planned and had no issues. I am not a very big guy at 5’7” tall and 119 pounds, so climbing is ok with me. I do tend to lose some time on the descents because of my weight. I passed many people and got passed by a few guys who were just flying. After we hit the summit of the pass, we dropped down into Henderson. It was a great feeling to have those couple miles of downhill. From that point, it was about 8 miles of false flats. We were climbing slowly, then the last 6 miles was straight uphill to the pavilion and T2. As I started the steep climb, my chain popped off and jammed in my sprocket. I hopped off and an awesome police officer grabbed my bike for me so I could get things going. I only lost about 30 seconds
in time, but the biggest loss was my momentum up the final climb. I hit T2 and was happy to hit the ground running.

Running is my thing. This year I have progressed in my running like no other year, so I was excited. I took off and quickly realized this run was going to be just like the ride, UP. There was a little over 1,200 feet of elevation gain on the run. It was a 3-loop course with aid stations every mile and people everywhere cheering. My goal was to just make it to the next aid station each time. I love the sun and the heat, but living in Oregon we don’t get either one that often. In fact, we didn’t have one day this summer that was as hot as it was on this nice fall Las Vegas day.

funny pic from race Facebook page
The heat wasn’t the hardest part for me, it was the dryness that was killing me. (To the man who brought the hose out from your back yard and was spraying us down, THANK YOU!) After each lap I knew I was closer to crossing the finish line where my wife and three year old son were waiting for me. I held my pace just fine and felt good about the run. I had no pain and I was thankful for feeling healthy at this point. I took some water at the final aid station and ran to the end with all I had.

My personal goal for this race was 6:30. I ran my first half Ironman in 5:20 but it was flat as could be and the weather was 65 degrees. I knew this ride and run would be much more difficult, so I was trying to be realistic with my time. As I crossed the finish line, I saw that my time was 6:00 and I was very pleased. I am thankful my family was waiting for me as I crossed the finish line. Maybe it is just me but these things can make you really emotional!

I felt great the next day and even went for a recovery run. I now have my eyes set on Ironman Australia in March 2015. Thanks to all my Triple Threat teammates for the encouragement and support. Also to all of our sponsors who provide us with great gear.


Related Posts:

Triple Threat Profile: Jeff Kirkland - Oregon


Friday, October 24, 2014

Nixon's Nuggets: Indoor Trainers... A Pain Cave Necessity

Stewart Nixon (repping CO on our national team) is a recurring columnist on the Triple Threat blog. He's been a triathlete for 25+ years, and has a ton of knowledge on the sport. Here he breaks down some of the different types of indoor trainers, along with pros and cons of each. No matter which you choose, put in the work this off season and you'll emerge in the spring a much stronger cyclist!


With the conclusion of the Ironman World Championships in Kona, much of the triathlon world in North America enters into the off season and indoor riding as temperatures drop and roads become snow covered. The talk of “pain caves” begins to abound as well. Today, I’m going to describe some of the many indoor bike trainers available and some of their pros and cons. I will limit this to trainers which utilize your own bike. These days, indoor trainers are often not relegated to just the off season, as some triathletes use them for key speed sessions during the race season. Riders don’t have to worry about stoplights, road rage, or environmental factors while riding inside, allowing for a more focused training session. 

Stationary bike trainers fall into one of two categories: rollers and trainers. Trainers are further categorized by the type of resistance unit on them. Rollers use both wheels while riding while trainers use only the rear wheel.

Rollers

For the uninitiated, rollers are probably the earliest form of bike trainer dating back to around the time of the bicycle as we know it in its current form. Despite their age, they still pose a great challenge to those who first try riding them. Their design is simple: a metal frame which holds three drums. Two drums at the rear which cradle the rear wheel and one drum in front on which the front wheel sits. The front drum is connected to the forward rear drum via a large rubber band which allows both wheels to turn during riding. Since the bike is not locked down, like on wind trainers and the like, the rider must balance the bike while riding. Therefore, they are excellent at developing balance and riding a straight line. The first few rides are best done in a doorway so you can use the door jamb to keep yourself upright. Out of saddle efforts are virtually unthinkable, as the rider can be quickly launched off the unit (ask me how I know) but with MUCH practice, can eventually be performed. Another benefit of rollers is developing a more balanced pedal stroke. This is done by watching the band that connects the front drum to the rear.  Ideally, there should be no bounce in the band. There is little resistance while riding classic rollers, except through changing gears. You can add extra resistance by adding a magnetic resistance unit, driven off the most rear drum, or a head wind unit, driven off the front drum. There are also rollers with smaller diameter drums which increase the basic resistance over classic rollers. Rollers are not too expensive but they are usually not very portable. While some units can fold up, by and large they are a bit bulky to transport. 




Wind Trainer

A wind trainer uses a fan to provide resistance. The rear of the bike is clamped into the frame of the trainer at the rear dropouts and the rear wheel sits on a small roller which is attached to a bladed fan which pushes the air to provide resistance. In theory, the resistance is supposed to give the rider a realistic road feeling. In reality, while the resistance is progressive, it is not nearly as close to road riding as one would expect, as overall the resistance is quite limited. Out of saddle efforts are secure (unless you haven’t clamped the bike tight enough) but wind trainers tend to be noisy due to the fan.  They are pretty inexpensive and are quite portable.


Magnetic Trainer

Magnetic trainers use the same frame as a wind trainer but instead of a fan attached to the roller, they have a magnetic flywheel resistance unit. Often, the resistance is user adjustable either at the flywheel, necessitating dismounting to increase/decrease resistance, or by means of a shifter mounted to the handlebars providing “on the fly” adjusting. Magnetic trainers are much quieter compared to fan units. The resistance is not progressive, although overall higher than a fan unit. They are also prone to breaking internally. Since they use the same frame as wind trainers, they are just as portable, making transporting them to the track for a ride/run session a snap.




Fluid Trainer

Fluid trainers use the same frame as wind and magnetic trainers, but combine a magnetic flywheel with fluid resistance chambers. Fluid trainers have a progressive resistance (the harder you pedal, the more resistance) which provide a very close to real world riding experience. They are virtually silent compared to wind and magnetic units and are just as portable. Out of saddle efforts are secure, as the bike is clamped down in the unit (yes, I have fallen out of a trainer). The repeated cycle of heat and fluid expansion and contraction can result in fluid leaks, although this is rare, and they are a bit pricier than their brothers but not prohibitively so. Some manufacturers offer an additional, heavier flywheel that can attach to the main unit to provide more resistance. 




Virtual Reality

Virtual reality, or VR, trainers are basically a trainer frame with a roller but are equipped with a computer with virtual world software. The bike is attached in pretty much the same way as other trainers, but the software controls the resistance at the roller instead of relying on wind, magnets or fluid. This enables the rider to really “feel” the road as the computer adjusts the load at the flywheel to compensate for going uphill or downhill, flats or headwinds and tailwinds. So for climbing a hill or riding into a headwind one would shift to an easier gear to compensate for the added resistance, just as they would on the road, which is the opposite of what you would do when simulating that on other trainers.  Another advantage is that some models can be linked up to allow multiple users to connect to each other and ride the same course for head-to-head riding/racing. VR units generally also display a rider’s metrics: speed, cadence, mileage, power, etc. They are not very portable, tend to be quite pricey and require a power supply in order to operate. 



LeMond Revolution

These nifty pieces connect at the rear of the bike, like others, but you don’t use your rear wheel. Instead, you place the dropouts on the unit which has a cassette already attached. Resistance is achieved by a large fan attached to the rear of the unit and driven by a belt attached to the cassette. Since the fan is much larger than the fans on a traditional wind trainer, the overall resistance curve is much greater. But since it utilizes a fan, the noise generated can be a bit loud and the price tag is up there. 




Tire wear is a concern because of heat build up from the roller for each of the trainers using a traditional rear wheel. The good news is that many tire manufacturers offer a “trainer only” tire specifically designed to withstand the heat from riding a trainer. They are only available in clincher form, so tubular riders (like me) would need to purchase an additional clincher wheel to use in the trainer. 


Keeping focused while riding inside has long been the bane of our indoor training existence. Trying to get the most bang out of riding inside can be difficult, and many sessions can turn into aimless pedaling below a beneficial level if you don’t have a plan ahead of time. VR type trainers accomplish this through the software and computer, adjusting the resistance automatically as you ride along. TVs are commonly used to keep boredom at bay. Watching a favorite movie, TV show or past race coverage are popular. However, even having those on the screen one can end up “just cruising along.”  If you want a focused training session, programs such as Triple Threat team sponsor The Sufferfest (see banner ad on this page), or others such as Spinervals and TrainerRoad are available that take you through different intervals depending on the type of workout planned. 




Finally, indoor training can take a toll on your bike. I covered steps you can take to keep your machine clean and running in tip top shape as you grind out the miles in my posts on Spring Bike Maintenance.





Nixon's Nuggets of Knowledge - Archives:


Nixon's Nuggets - Chain Suck Sucks

Nixon's Nuggets - Roka Maverick Pro Review


Tuesday, October 21, 2014

Ironman Barcelona Race Report: David Fernandez


After finishing my first Ironman in May, all I could think about was when my next attempt would be at this distance. I looked at many options, but there was no better choice than racing the inaugural Ironman Barcelona in my home town. I truly believe that I would not have finished as fast as I did without the support of friends and family who came to cheer me on. They made this race very special for me. As always, my wife’s support and my sister Anabel’s invaluable nutrition advice were not only critical during the race, but also in the months leading up to it. My Triple Threat teammates were instrumental in providing training and race day advice, and the gear from our sponsors had a direct impact on a successful race performance.













RACE WEEK

Although I had a great base from Ironman Texas (IMTX), my training leading up to Barcelona wasn’t ideal. Weeks 7 and 8 before the race I was on vacation and did minimal training. Week 6 I was back in Miami and tried to overcompensate, resulting in a foot injury that prevented me from running for two weeks. A structured 3 week taper was critical to getting me race ready. My body was able to absorb the training and recover from injuries, and I felt refreshed from accumulated fatigue.



9 hours after barely catching my flight, I was landing in Barcelona!! 
Like a Miami Heat traitor said this summer: I am coming home!!!

Pre-race swim in the Mediterranean, rockin the Roka!





Friday I went for a short run, which helped combat the jet lag I was feeling, and later went to the beach with my wife, getting a short swim in in my new ROKA wetsuit. Sat. I checked in my bike and gear bags after a final short ride and run… I was WAY more relaxed than I was at IMTX and ready to go.




My bike got in one piece to Spain. Ready to drop off my most precious possession in transition.














RACE DAY 

I woke up at 4:50 and had my pre-race breakfast: 120 grams of cereal + 2 tbsp of Nesquick and 400 ml of fat free milk. My parents’ house is 50 miles from Calella, where the race actually takes place, so it took us ~50 min to get there. I had 2.5 hrs until my wave started, much different from IMTX, where I ran out of time and started the swim late. I pumped my tires and was packing my nutrition when an electrical storm started... thunder, lightning, and lots of rain. I headed back to the car and we drove to the swim start. There were rumors the race may be cancelled, and things got chaotic. However, as I wrote in my pre-race interview, you have to be ready to expect anything and just focus on controlling what you can. Finally it was announced that we would just be postponed 30 min. Vamos!! We headed to the swim start and I couldn’t wait to get in the water. It was raining and freezing, and I was ready to start!



hard core supporters 10 min before delayed start – Katie (wife), Anabel (sister), & mom

Swim

Results:


Goal:
Improve IMTX swim of 1:19:22 (1:53 min / 100 yards)
IMBCN:
1:11:59 (1:42 min / 100 yards)
Total Time:
1:11:59


The swim was an ocean swim with a wave start (~350 in my AG), a lot easier than IMTX where I started with 2,700. Swimming is my weakest discipline, and I didn’t want to burn any matches here, especially since we’d be swimming largely against the current. I managed to find a nice rhythm that felt like a long training swim. The water wasn’t very choppy, although I swallowed my share of salt water as I only breathe to my right. I’ve worked really hard over the past few months on my swim, increasing my volume to 12,000-14,000 yards / week and doing more interval sets. Also, my new ROKA wetsuit was a great step up from my previous wetsuit. It felt effortless to swim in and I had complete range of motion in my arms. Before I knew it the swim was over, and I was amazed to have shaved so much time off my IMTX swim. Was great to see the hard work and new wetsuit pay off!


























T1

I ran out of the water and into the changing tent, swim stuff off, bike stuff on, and ran for my bike. I grabbed it, ran to the mount line, jumped on, and was ready to tackle a 112 mile ride!

T1 Time:
4:32
Total Time:
1:16:31

Bike

Results

Goal:
Match IMTX bike time of 5:14:31 (21.4 mph)
IMBCN:
5:04:40 (22.1 mph)
Total Time:
6:21:11

I have a bittersweet feeling looking back at my performance on the bike. I think I was capable of breaking 5 hours, setting me up for a sub 10 hr Ironman. However, given everything that happened, I must be happy that I was just able to finish...


My strategy was to stay in high zone 2 / low zone 3 and zone 4 for the climbs. It was aggressive, but I knew I could handle it and have plenty of legs left for the run. We biked through narrow streets and sharp turns for the first 2 miles until we hit the major road where most of the course took place. The biggest two hills came soon after, then it was a fast course with only minor hills, but quite a few roundabouts.

I was going fast (24-25 mph), taking advantage of some tailwinds, yet being careful on the turns and roundabouts as the road was wet from the morning storm. At mile 18, I was entering a roundabout with a race official on a motorcycle on my left. A fellow athlete thought he had enough space to pass between the motorcycle and myself… he didn’t, falling and taking me down with him. I hit the road hard with my hip and shoulder and got scratches all over my right side. Also, my helmet hit the road and flew away. I got up, in pain and a little dizzy. I was assisted by medical volunteers, who urged me to not continue. No way!! I was racing at home with my family and friends there. I exchanged a few words that can’t be repeated here with the guy who made me fall, grabbed my bike, and started peddling again. The whole process took 5-6 min.









But, was my bike ok?? Two of my three bottle cages were broken and only four gears worked, but thankfully everything else seemed ok. It was a challenge to complete more than 90 miles with only 4 gears, one bottle of sports drink at a time on my bike, and no visor or sunglasses (my helmet visor broke on the fall). As I mentioned in my pre-race interview, it’s very important to adapt and expect the unexpected when doing an Ironman!

I stayed positive, made sure to follow my nutrition plan (a little low on liquids though),
and tried not to think about the time lost or the knee and hip pain. I quickly recovered momentum and targeted the intensity zones I had planned to hit before the crash. The first 1.5 loops were fast, with breathtaking views of the Maresme coast and mountains on each side of the road. We faced some headwinds during the back half of the second loop, so although my intensity stayed the same, my speed went down to average 21.5 mph. I took advantage of the tailwinds on the way out during the last half loop, but took it easy on the way back, wanting to preserve my legs for the marathon. I was soon riding the city streets again on the way back to transition. I was happy with my bike time, but especially with just making it back. When I went down, I thought it was game over.



T2

I did a flying dismount, racked my bike, tossed by bike stuff and grabbed my run bag.
Shoes, sunglasses and visor on, then off and ready to run!



T2 Time:

1:03



Total Time:

6:22:14


Run

Results
Goal:
Break 4 hours - was 3:58 at IMTX (9:05 min/mile)
IMBCN:
3:46:38 (8:39 min/mile)
Total Time:
10:08:52

As mentioned, my running fitness wasn’t great coming in, but with better bike fitness than at IMTX, I thought I could barely break 4 hours again. It was also cooler than at Texas and in Miami, where I train, which would help significantly.

My goal was to stay in zone 2 for most of the run, without paying too much attention to
pace. The run was a 4 loop course. It’s great for spectators as they get to see the athletes many times, but it got a little crowded.





Smiles for everyone… I'll go sub 10!
First Loop

Starting the run I knew my race time was 6:22. I thought briefly about my crash, and how those minutes lost would have surely given me enough of a buffer to attempt a sub 10 hour IM. I then put the crash out of my mind… it happened and I just had to deal with it. Another time it may be a flat or something else.

A 3:38 marathon (8:19 pace) to break 10 hours… still definitely possible. Focusing on that goal, I probably started out too fast. I completed the first loop averaging ~7:45 min/mile. I didn’t want to hold back while I was feeling good, plus I was still in zone 2 (high 150’s bpm).

Second Loop


I settled into a more comfortable pace of 8:15, letting my HR drop a few beats, and thought I had a real chance of breaking 10 hours. However, my fatigued mind played a trick on me. All the signs were in km, and I’m used to miles now. I had two loops to go, but thought there was only one (before the first loop we had to run 1.5 miles to a turnaround point, and I thought that was loop 1). I finished the second loop feeling quite well, but...


Still feeling great, but Katie realized I was going too fast and told me to slow down…
As usual, she was right; I should’ve listened to her. Sounds like real life!




Third Loop

Since I thought it was my last loop, I picked up my pace a little. After a couple miles I started adding up time in my head, which is when I finally realized I had two more to go. This was a psychological and physical shock! I slowed my pace and got my heart rate out of zone 3. It was too little too late, but I still managed to complete the loop averaging low 9 min/mile. After miles 15-16, everything started to hurt. My knee and hip were in pain from the crash, but all



Where's David? Did he collapse already?
the muscles and bones in both my legs were also in pain. This is when experience is invaluable. I felt the same way at IMTX, and I walked quite a bit hoping to recover. Now, I knew there was no fix to how I was feeling… my only option was to tough it out and get to the finish line as soon as possible. That’s when it would stop hurting. I knew I just had to make it to the “start/end loop point” where all my friends and family were waiting for me. Their cheers were all I needed to stay strong!

Fourth Loop

Loop 3 was hard, but this was worse. I tried to keep good form, with a light, high cadence to reduce the impact on my body, but I just didn’t have any strength left in my legs. The first couple miles were at 9:00 min pace before backing off and taking in nutrition and liquid. I was close to bonking, but with only 2+ miles left I gave everything I had, closing around 8:30 pace.


As always, the homestretch of an Ironman race is the most special time of the day. The finish line was set up like a World Cup Final event: blue carpet, TV screens, announcers, bleachers full of spectators, lights, music, etc. Everything you can dream of to make you feel like you’re on top of the world and fresh enough to sprint to the finish line, despite not having anything left. I knew that I wouldn’t break 10 hours, but it didn’t matter. I was very happy to be a few moments away from finishing my second IM. I tried to locate my friends and family, but I couldn’t, so I just started high fiving everybody I could reach.

There are no words to express the feeling of crossing an IM finish line.
It is pure happiness; you realize that anything is possible if you put the work & determination to accomplish it

The announcer (a British version of Mike Reilly) said a few facts about me, mentioned that despite a bike crash I finished with an awesome time and said the famous: “DAVID, YOU ARE AN IRONMAN!!!!” I guess some things are the same on both sides of the Atlantic. One volunteer gave me some water, another put a medal around my neck, and a third held me. Yeah, it was painful to stand up. He saw my wounds from the crash and took me to the medical tent.

POST–RACE

I spent ~15 min in the tent getting treatment (it was scary to see how some people end up). Afterwards I went to eat something and experienced the best post-race buffet ever: pasta, chocolate croissants, baked goods, sodas, beer, fruit, coffee, etc. It was a full dinner buffet!! After I recovered a bit we drove to transition to get my bike and bags, then headed home to have a traditional Spanish meal with my friends and family. After dinner I came back to watch the end of the race live and went to bed soon after.


Best part of IM is enjoying time with loved ones & thanking them for being there all day cheering for you
















The following day I took my wife shopping as she loves a few stores in Barcelona and I had promised it to her. My legs were a little sore, but I was able to sit most of the time. Then more family and friends time continued for lunch and dinner (meals in Spain tend to be long when you gather with family and close friends; you can easily spend 4-5 hours, so eating was mostly all we did all day!).

We flew out early Tues. morning, landing in Miami in the afternoon. During the flight is when my wounds started bothering me. Twelve days after the race, my shoulder and especially my hip are
not quite right. I hope it’s just a matter of time for them to heal.


SUMMARY




Swim

T1

Bike

T2

Run

Total

IMBCN

1:11:59

4:32

5:04:40

1:03

3:46:38

10:08:52

IMTX

1:19:22

5:36

5:14:31

5:23

3:58:14

10:43:06

Difference

- 7:23


9:51


11:36

34:14



Despite being so close to breaking 10 hours, I’m ecstatic with my result. Putting in 3,000 more swimming yards per week than IMTX training was a big help. There’s no secret to improving your swim time other than dedicating more time to it, especially for latecomers like myself (2 years ago I couldn’t swim 25 yards across the pool).

War wounds… Shoulder and hip were BAD


Not only did I swim faster, but I was way fresher afterwards. At IMTX, between leg cramps for the last third of the swim, having my shoulders restricted by my old wetsuit, and fighting the crowd, I was exhausted. At IMBCN, my new ROKA wetsuit felt like a glove and we started in waves. I had a lot more energy starting the bike.

I also came in with better bike fitness and a more aggressive position on the bike, although that only lasted until I crashed and my seatpost dropped about an inch. However, despite the crash and the aftermath, I was still able to improve my bike split by almost 10 minutes.


The run was my biggest concern, so it was a surprise to PR by so much. Although I felt a lack of power towards the end, I think I had a good running base from the training I did all year long, and my legs were fresher coming off the bike as well.

Also, I believe I applied what I learned from IMTX to this race. I knew how I would feel at each stage of the race and how my nutrition plan would work. I only had to focus on executing the race.

Finally, racing at home was definitely a big boost. Not only on race day, with the best support crew I’ve ever had, but also pre-race. The day before I was watching a movie at home with my family, had home-cooked meals, and slept in my own bed. After the race, I was able to enjoy myself doing what I love the most: spending time with the people I care about most and eating great food!





Octopus Galician Style


Cahelos, Butelo, & Cachola (pig head...not served at IM aid stations)
Special thanks to my sister for warning me it wasn’t a good idea
to eat the entire Spanish ham rack as a pre-race meal…
 

The best Cheering Crew in the world!!! I would have not completed this race without their help and continuous support. From left to right: dad, mom, grandma (Yaya), Anabel, Danid, and Katie. Missing in this picture: Sofia, Rins, and Xavi.

Also, special recognition to all the people that stopped by say hi pre or post race: grandpas, Lola, Jose Luis, Jesus, Tenor, Cristina, Mateo, Yoli and many more that I am forgetting. You made this race and time in Barcelona very memorable!







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