Fuji Norcom Straight Bike Review

Triple Threat Triathlon friend and professional triathlete Guilherme Ferreira Campos recently got a sneak peek at the revolutionary new Fuji Super Bike, the Norcom Straight, at a launch event in Boulder, CO. He was kind enough to share a report on what he saw behind the scenes. Thanks G!

My first impression is that it couldn’t be any better. The Norcom, which was created under the slogan “Fit Comes First,” took 3 years to be developed by Fuji’s Designer Steve Fairchild. The company had in mind the concept that triathletes need to combine aerodynamics with the best fit for their body type in order to achieve the maximum amount of power and efficiency on their ride without compromising their run leg afterwards. More than that, they wanted to create a frame/bike that could fit a super tall rider like Fuji’s own sponsored athlete Matty Reed or a small tiny rider such as a 5’1’’ woman. That being said, the Norcom comes in 5 sizes ranging from small (49cm) all the way to XL (57cm) with a 3D-forged integrated stem developed with their partner company Oval Concepts that brings even more adjustability to the frame through its 2 rise options +/- 8 degree or +/- 17 degree in 6 lengths increasing 1mm from 80mm to 130mm.

On the back end of the frame, the seatpost has a slick airfoil shape with an adjustment of 180mm in height with effective seat tube angles ranging from 74 degrees to 81 degrees achieved via the seat clamp adjustability.

One of the biggest and greatest new features of the frame is that comparing it to the already successful and very responsive D6 frameset (which I am currently riding), the Norcom is 20% stiffer on the front end and 26% on the bottom bracket, making it not only faster but giving more control and transfer of power to the rider.

Another great new feature is the adjustable vertical drop out , that makes it super convenient and a lot easier for the rider to change or take in/out the wheels. For a race day problem that’s a win-win situation! Besides that, the horizontal adjustability provides the option of getting the wheels closer to the frame, making it super aerodynamic!

The last feature I will talk about are the TRP aero brakes successfully hiden behind the forks. They provide outstanding breaking power and modulation, which also improves the rider performance and safety as poor modulation can lead to a sudden and complete stop of the bike while a good modulation achieves braking proportional to the pressure the rider applies to the brake levers.

Finally, the Norcom Straight comes in 5 options and colors, all mechanically and electronically compatible.


In case you missed it, check out our interview with G on his pursuit of the dream!

Matty Reed is all smiles

TTT Profile: Jackie "Big Rig" Muterspaugh

As the Triple Threat Triathlon team page states, 6'5 Jackie "Big Rig" Muterspaugh looks down on his competition both literally and figuratively. He racked up double digit age group victories last season alone, and has competed at the USAT Championships the last two years, placing 12th and 3rd in his division. He's also a great family man, with four kids who can be found competing themselves or assisting as his well-oiled, pre-race "pit crew." Jackie is relatively new to triathlon but has raced a ton and had tremendous success over the past few years... it was great to catch up with him and get his perspective for the blog.

What’s your athletic background, and how did you get into triathlon? 

My athletic background was primarily ball sports: football, basketball, volleyball, soccer, etc. Later in life I started racing BMX with my sons and we traveled to national events and won many races. After a long stint playing competitive amateur volleyball both indoors as well as 2 man, I was looking for a new challenge. I got into triathlon out of curiosity, starting with a beginner tri (200m swim, 6 mile bike, 1.5 mile run). I took 2nd overall which included cramping on the run because of a terrible bike fit. That was it, I was instantly hooked, and in 4 years I have completed over 50 tris ranging from sprint to half Ironman distances. Included in that are several half marathons, 4 Ragnar relays, and 20+ 5 and 10k races.

How would you sum up your 2012 season? What was the highlight/lowlight?

2012 was my best season thus far. I did 13 sprint distance races and won my division in 10 of them. The highlight would be winning my age group in a couple races that did not have a Clydesdale division. The low light was on the same day as one of those races, my 12 year old son crashed when he hit a volunteer who ran out on the bike course. We had to go to the ER straight from the race.

How were your experiences at the USAT Championships the past couple years? What did you learn from racing on the national scene?

Humbling is the only word that describes that experience. Racing at the national level is clearly not like local races. The swim is a tight pack the entire way with little separation. The bike is also tight, and it’s tough to manage your drafting space as there are so many equal cyclists. The run is a spectacle of athleticism… so many fast runners. It is the ultimate test of your preparation, training, technique, transitions, and overall race strategies. I cannot say enough about the USAT and the way they put that event on. I felt like a pro at a major race or on the ITU circuit because of the professionalism that the USAT displays. I shaved almost 8 minutes off my 2011 time, so I was thrilled although I finished 12th. I wasn't disappointed because I can only race my best and improving my time that far was as thrilling as finishing 3rd in 2011. I learned that your bike/run combo has to be at a very high level to hang at a national level. 

I know you’ve already done a few races in 2013… what’s on tap for the season, what are your “A” races, and what are your goals? 

I have done 2 sprints this year and the SoCal Ragnar. My goals are always to race the clock and improve. I am my biggest competition, so I will be doing some repeat races (St. George, Bear Lake, Bountiful, Echo and a few others) and my goal is to better my PR in each of these races. Now that the Clydesdale weight limit is raised 20 pounds I want to podium in my age group 5 times. It is the clock that I chase, so setting PR’s is my focus and the rest will work itself out.

On that note, at 6’5 and just over 200lbs, you’ve absolutely dominated the Clydesdale division over the past few years. From your understanding why did USAT change the division this year and what are your thoughts?

This was a shock to me. I knew that they were considering raising the limit, but the 20 pound increase was a surprise (from 200 to 220lb). Unfortunately that much of a raise eliminates some taller athletes like me. I understand the intent, but I thought the jump of 10% body weight was a big one. I racked up a bunch of awards as a Clydesdale, but I’ve always said I can only race who is there. I’ll continue to race whatever division I am in and will just have to train harder and smoke those little skinny guys!

What are your 3 favorite races on your local scene?

St. George - beautiful scenery and the BBSC group puts on a great race

Bear Lake Mountain Tropic - another BBSC race but the course is wicked fast and flat

Stansbury - like the course and have never lost there

Are there any similarities between BMX racing and triathlon? Has it helped you in terms of racing mentality or otherwise? 

Not really, BMX is more of a max effort for ~30 second sprints. It does help with bike handling skills and explosive power for passing on the bike. The mental side are opposites for me: when I am in the gate to race BMX I am thinking power, explosiveness, destroy, defend… all very aggressive thoughts, whereas for a tri I am constantly trying to stay relaxed and stay in my zone to manage my output.

What motivates you?

Tick tick tick tick tick. Father time, the stop watch and my family. I am passionate about leading by example to my 4 children about living a healthy lifestyle and staying active. I still enjoy playing basketball, mountain biking, running with my kids and other family activities. I want to be able to play with them as well as my grandkids. I see too many guys my age (44) with serious health issues and inactive. I want to compete in some sort of activity until I die. My family is very supportive of my addiction and enjoys coming to races. My wife is a racer too, and I am trying to convince her that in 3 years we should take a vacation and do an Ironman side by side on our 25th wedding anniversary.  

What’s your biggest strength and weakness? What has been the biggest key to getting faster each year?

Strength - transitions. I used to analyze corporate processes for a living, so I break down the transition and take out every little thing that is of no value or slows me down. Ask yourself why you have each item in transition and then determine what can go (socks, putting on bike shoes, sunglasses, etc.) For example, I bike and run with no socks, have a shield on my helmet so no sunglasses, and my bike shoes are clipped to bike and positioned with rubber bands to the frame. Bike to run I try to pick up everything and put it on as I leave transition (race belt, hat, glasses).

Weakness - average on the bike and the run. I will have to continue to push my training in these disciplines. I never ran before discovering triathlon, so it has been an evolution to understand how to run fast as a bigger guy.

What advice would you give to those new to the sport? 

Do the sport for you and enjoy the journey. Don’t get caught up in the flashy bikes and equipment… borrow a bike, dress comfortably, and give it a go. I always caution new triathletes that this is absolutely addicting, and you need to be prepared for that addiction! There is nothing more fulfilling than picking a goal, training, and then accomplishing that goal. It is not all about Ironman. You are a triathlete if you do beginner, sprint, Olympic, half, or full Ironman distances, so don’t discount your achievements. HAVE FUN, talk to people, help your fellow competitors if you see someone struggling in setting up transition or out on the course. Help and encourage others and it will fuel your race and experience.


Thanks for the time, Jackie, and best of luck at your race this weekend and beyond!

Ironman St. George 70.3 Race Report

Where to begin. My Ironman St. George 70.3 experience was a personal lesson in overcoming obstacles. In some ways it left a bad taste in my mouth, but overall I’m happy with how I responded to adversity. First of all, my car broke down two days before we were set to leave. Not ideal. My bike was also “in the shop” at this time, getting tuned up to fix some issues with shifting into my big ring. By Wednesday we had figured out the car situation and got my bike back, and things were looking up. I took my bike out for a short ride that evening and realized I still couldn’t shift into my big ring. This was frustrating. Thursday morning we headed out, and while driving I called High Knees Cycling, a new shop I’d heard of in St. George that is right on the bike course. They told me not to worry, they’d take care of everything. I eventually pulled into St. George, dropped off my bike and checked in for the race. I can’t say enough about High Knees Cycling. I expected to pick up my bike the following morning, but they powered through tons of bikes and had mine in tip top shape a few hours later. 

They replaced the internal cables and adjusted the front derailleur quickly and for only $15. I highly recommend them to anyone in the area! A little later was something race organizers had put together called “meet the pros.” Being the US Championships for the 70.3 distance, the race boasted a very deep professional field. Many of them took the stage to speak to the crowd (moderated by Craig Alexander), and while waiting for their turn they were hanging out off to the side. I strolled up not really knowing what to expect before realizing that Andy Potts was standing right in front of me. A woman virtually tackled him with a huge bear hug as a picture was snapped of them, and then I talked with him for the next 10 min or so. Such a cool guy. He posed for a picture with me (I refrained from a bear hug), but I discovered later that the knucklehead taking it didn’t press the button down all the way. Oh well. I then looked around and realized that the place was swarming with pros. I’ll write another post soon about some insights I got from talking with them, but I was able to chat with Craig Alexander, Matty Reed, Greg & Laura Bennett, Leanda Cave, Ben Hoffman, Paula Newby Fraser, and Kelly Williamson. Every one of them was incredibly friendly... I was blown away by how down to earth and cool they were. I understand they’re not celebrities a la Michael Jordan or Justin Bieber, but still it was very impressive the way they handled the onslaught of amateur triathletes asking for pictures and autographs or just to talk (more my style, although I did manage to get one with 2x US Olympian Laura Bennett). 

2x US Olympian Laura Bennett... incredibly nice

Also present was Jordan Rapp, Heather & Trevor Wurtele, Meredith Kessler, Lisa Norden (Silver Medalist in London), and others. As I told a few of them, it was more meaningful for me to meet them than athletes from more major sports (NBA, NFL, etc). Honestly. I know I’m in the minority, but it’s true. These guys work so hard for a miniscule fraction of the pay and glory of major sports. I admire that.

Friday I got my race stuff organized, then went for a 20 min bike ride before heading out to Sand Hollow reservoir, where my family was playing on the beach opposite the swim start. I tested out the water and it initially felt pretty frigid. It stung my face and was tough to get acclimated, but after a few minutes it got better. I checked in my bike, had a pasta dinner with my in-laws, then headed to the IronKids race. My 5-year old son “competed” in the 200 meter event last year, but it clearly wasn’t very memorable as he declined the invitation this year. He’s a “one and done.” My 2-year old daughter on the other hand was all in. She was very excited to be a part of it, and was beaming as she jogged in with my wife. I met up with Spencer Woolston who was waiting for his kids to come by in the mile run. He mentioned he was seeing improvements in his biking and running compared to last year, which is a scary thought considering he placed 10th overall last year including pros. 

I turned in for the night, watching a little NBA playoff basketball before hitting the sack around 9. I was drifting away when I heard a neighbor's dog barking up a storm. I pictured headlines declaring “IRONMAN COMPETITOR KILLS DOG” but decided the better choice was to simply grab the ear plugs I had brought in case of such an event. It wasn't the best night's sleep of my life, but I got a few hours in before up for good at 4:00.

I made the short drive to T2 and hopped on one of the shuttles. I had planned on rocking out to some music, but the guy sitting next to me from Rio de Janeiro was really funny and cool so we just talked for the duration of the ~30 min drive to Sand Hollow. We got body marked and wished each other a great day. I did the usual pre-race stuff, then met up with my wife. 

The combination of a chilly morning and some nerves caused me to shiver a bit, even in my wetsuit. Talking with Lindsay and a few other competitors calmed me down a lot and I started to get into a good mental zone picturing myself attacking the cold water one buoy at a time. We watched the pros start (around 7:00) and in my mind I still had “tons of time” before my 7:18 wave start. I had previously heard that there wouldn’t be much time at all to warm up in the water, so I had it in my head that I’d be entering the water very close to 7:18. What I didn’t realize was that the starting point for the swim was actually a good 100+ meters from the water’s entrance, so in reality you entered the water several minutes before. Unbeknownst to me, while I was chatting away, getting my Garmin satellites up and running, and boppin my head to the blaring music, my wave was making its way towards the start. I caught the announcer say mens’ 30-34 A-J (right before me), so assumed my wave would be called next to enter the water. What was really being announced was that they were out there about to start! I asked a guy lined up at the edge of the water what age group he was in, and he said M35-39, which was 2 or 3 waves after mine. He yelled, “you gotta get in the water!” 

what was I smoking? follow the yellow caps!

To my horror I looked out and saw yellow swim caps (my wave) bobbing in the water out at the starting point. I couldn’t believe I had made such a stupid mistake. I frantically pushed my way through some people and swam out towards the start. With all that adrenaline, the water didn’t feel cold at all. Shortly after, the announcer called out “1 minute men’s 30-34 K-Z,” and I knew I wouldn’t make it in time. I kept thinking “how did I let this happen??” The gun went off and I started my watch, still a good 90 seconds or so behind. The waves started every 3 minutes, and I figure I was right in between mine and the next one. No man’s land. A minute or two over the course of a half Ironman is nothing, but there’s something more traumatic about being late to the party. Lesson learned… I can promise you I will never make that mistake again! 

I was concerned that the frantic start to my race would be a double whammy and affect the rest of my swim, but it really didn’t. I was pissed at myself, and swam hard. I wished I had some feet to draft behind, but eventually I was able to reel in a lot of yellow caps. I haven't taken a hard look at the results, but it looks like I was right around the average time of all competitors despite the miscue, somewhere around 40 min.

Entering T1 I was determined to make up further time, and despite cold hands making it difficult to clip my helmet on it was pretty smooth. I pushed hard on the bike from the get go, still beating myself up over my silly mistake. The bike course has a lot of climbing, but I was feeling strong. About 20 miles into the bike I thought of a conversation I’d had pre-race with a friend who ran the Boston Marathon last month. He mentioned that he was a little disappointed with his race, but then the bombings provided so much perspective about what’s important and what is not. I realized that beating myself up over a mental lapse that cost me 1-2 minutes was totally and completely not worth it. I thought about how those two brothers came to America and placed bombs at an event similar to the one I was competing in. It made me angry. I thought about how their actions caused people to have their legs blown off, and how an 8-year old boy and two other people lost their lives. An 8-year old boy. I got a bit emotional thinking about that, and what if that had been my son, standing there cheering on his mom or his dad. Needless to say I was driven over the next several miles and pushed extremely hard. I climbed up the rolling Red Hills Parkway, which would also serve as the run course, and flew down the backside of it onto Snow Canyon Parkway. My in-laws live just off this street, and I knew my father-in-law would be watching nearby. I spotted him, yelled out and waved as I whizzed by. About 20 seconds later, at mile 37 on the course (of 56) I heard a loud POP! as though a gun had gone off. WTF? I came to a stop, clipped out, and rested my bike against a speed limit sign on the side of the road. I checked my front tire and sure enough it was completely flat, but thankfully the tire was still intact. This was my first flat ever in a race, and I turned away from the action in order to avoid getting too flustered by the sight of people whizzing by. 

 

A spectator came running over, saying he heard the pop, and asking if he could help. As I worked on the tire I told him I had to do it myself, but it would be great if he could stand by. Moral support is fair game, right? While I was frustrated by the flat, I was happy with how quickly I was able to change it. The guy commented “you get the award for the fastest tire change” and was kind enough to throw away my trash. Whoever you are, I appreciated the support. From my watch I know the flat cost me 6-7 min. While I’m still not sure what caused it… probably a pinch, it could have been a lot worse. I'm guessing I lost another 2 min. or so from riding a little more conservatively the rest of the way. I didn’t have another tube or CO2 cartridge, and I just wanted to get back to T2. A second flat might have caused a Normann Stadler re-enactment (see seconds 10-42 in above video), which was undesirable. I made the long, difficult climb through Snow Canyon, then flew down highway 18, praying I wouldn’t flat again and suffer a gruesome crash with a side of road rash. Today I realized the tire is shot, but thankfully it held up the rest of the race. I came in at 3:02 including the flat, which I believe was still around 35-40% or so. After a quick T2 I headed out on the run. I was happy to have handled the adversity thus far, and set out to just finish it out the best I could. 

I played the heart rate game through the first half of the run. I know from past 70.3s that if my heart rate is in the 160’s early on I’m vulnerable to crash in the later stages. Even though it felt relatively “easy” in the beginning, I had to pull on the reins to keep my heart rate in the 150’s, letting the pace fall where it may. I always tell myself that the goal is to be running miles 8-13. The first four miles of the run were varying degrees of uphill, so it was a challenge to keep the heart rate in check, but eventually the climbs turned into pounding downhills. Being a bit conservative in the early miles paid off, and I was able to run with solid form the whole way, although not quite as fast as I had hoped. 

Unlike last year, thankfully the wind was never a factor, although it did get pretty hot on the run. It was by far the hilliest half marathon (road race or triathlon) I’ve done. I closed it out in 2:05 for a total time of 5:53. Although disappointed to have squandered 8-10 min or so, that’s peanuts compared to the other ~345 total minutes of racing. All in all I gave it my best and it was a great day. Congrats to everyone who conquered that difficult course!

Side note: Yesterday my wife and I had the chance to meet Slater Fletcher and his wife Monique. Slater is nursing a running injury but did the swim and bike in 29 min and 2:22. Spencer Woolston went 34 min, 2:20, and 1:29 on his way to the age group victory. It definitely would have been an interesting race between those two, who are both stellar people as well as athletes. If they’re both 100% it will be fun to see how Ironman Coeur d’Alene plays out next month. 

Related Posts:

Ironman St. George 70.3 Race Report 2014: Seeking Revenge

Ironman St. George 70.3 Race Report 2016: That Was a Liiiieee, Steven

one of the best decisions I've ever made

Play Angry

Last month I had the opportunity to attend two NCAA college basketball tournament games. The first was a complete blow out, with nerdy Harvard totally out-matched by Arizona. The second game, between #1 seed Gonzaga and #9 seed Wichita State, was a back and forth nailbiter that Wichita State pulled out in the end. Throughout the game my dad and I kept commenting on how physical and just plain tough Wichita State was. It was clear that they weren’t intimidated at all to be playing a #1 seed. After the game, it didn’t surprise me to read the following:

“Coach Gregg Marshall likes to say that Wichita State is a reflection of the town it calls home: a hard-working, blue-collar, nose-to-the-grindstone kind of place. If you ask him what has sparked the stellar improvement from his team (over the past month), he’ll tell you it’s because the team started ‘playing angry’”.

I was already pulling for the Shockers after having seen them in person, but reading that made me an even bigger fan. The “play angry” motto got more and more press with each victory, and Wichita State had a great run in becoming one of the lowest seeds ever to reach the Final Four.

So what does it mean to “play angry” in a triathlon? First of all, I don’t think it means playing dirty, which might entail grabbing ankles and ripping off goggles in the water, leaving a trail of tacks and broken glass behind you on the bike, and a combination of tripping and clotheslining on the run. It also doesn’t mean getting angry, losing your cool and being a jerk. To me playing angry is all about your mindset going into a race. It means not being intimidated… not by the open water, the bikes that cost more than your car, that big hill on the course, the competition, etc. You can still be friendly to others and have fun (isn't that the point?), but when it comes down to it it means racing with a chip on your shoulder and getting after it!

Although triathlon is less about “me vs. you” and more about battling the course and the clock, I obviously want to place as high as I can. One year ago I was simply happy to be at Ironman St. George. My goal was to finish, and I took a conservative approach. I was ecstatic to cross the line on a day when almost 1 out of 3 didn’t due to the elements and the difficulty of the course. This year, my mentality is different, clearly in part due to the race being cut in half to a 70.3. I may have a great race, or I may bonk in spectacular fashion, but I can assure you that I'll be scrapping and competing the best I can out there. 

In other words, I'll be playing angry.

If interested you can follow me on Saturday beginning shortly after 7AM Mountain Time (9 EST) via the Ironman site (I believe you click on "coverage" and then "athlete tracker"). I'm #910.

The Tin Man

Even though I've been resting up in taper mode, my legs have felt pretty rusty and stiff over the past week. I've felt more like a Tin Man than an Ironman, in need of an injection of WD-40 to loosen things up. My 40 minute run on Saturday was pretty terrible... I thought my legs would feel fresh and rested, chomping at the bit to get out for a run. In reality, it was a struggle to turn them over at all following an easy bike. Instead of all pistons firing, they were sputtering at best.

is this stuff on the banned substances list?

My Tin Man status was manifested again yesterday at a family gathering with my parents, my sister, and her husband. If you’ve been following the blog, this is the same guy from the “Ironmen Don’t Walk” post a few months ago. He doesn’t swim, bike, or run, but he’s extremely athletic, especially in what I’ll call an “NFL combine” type of way (40 yard dash, vertical leap, bench press reps, etc). Being around him makes it obvious that I’m not at the peak of my powers anymore. As is always the case, while engaging in a favorite activity of tossing the aerobie, he repeatedly flew up and down the field, sprinting and leaping like a wild antelope. I had no intentions of attempting such maneuvers, and almost tweaked a hammy at just the thought of it. After we recovered the inevitable errant throw that got stuck in a tree and decided to head in, we came upon a concrete ledge at the park. He asked if I thought I could stand flat-footed and jump onto it.... after sizing it up I said “yeah I probably could, but there’s a significant probability I’d pull something.” I then went on to describe to him how the thing that stands out the most from my mid 30’s to my mid 20’s is the concept of warming up and recovery. I can still sprint up and down a field at a pretty good clip, but it’s gonna take me some time to work up to it. I feel like I’d need to do a bunch of warm-up drills in the grass for a good 15 min or so before I’d attempt sprinting full speed for a frisbee. In terms of triathlon, I used to always completely rest the day before a race, and was baffled to see many training plans calling for a short swim and/or bike the day before. Now I totally get it, and I’ve incorporated that over the last couple years as a way to get the aforementioned pistons firing. I’m heading down to St. George Thursday morning, and will attempt to wake my legs up from their slumber with something short on Friday. Game time is quickly approaching!

Ironman Champion Patrick Evoe

Ever since I first stumbled on his blog a few years ago, Patrick Evoe has been one of my favorite professional triathletes to follow. His story is inspiring, and his race reports provide great insight into the mind of a pro. A perennial top 10 finisher at Ironman and Ironman 70.3 races, over the past couple years Pat has stepped up to the podium multiple times, culminating with the win at Ironman Louisville last August. He was cool enough to take some time out of his busy schedule for this interview. Before getting to my questions, here’s a bit of his background (from his website and past quotes).

In 2000, I moved to Austin, Texas for a job at a semiconductor equipment manufacturer after graduating with an engineering degree from the University of Michigan. At that time, I was fifty pounds overweight and had no experience with any endurance sports or racing. I was tired of being embarrassed about my physical condition so I decided to start running. At the beginning, I couldn't run a mile without walking. I kept with it until I could jog 5k without stopping. Then in the Texas summer, I couldn't run in the heat, so I started going to my community pool and taught myself to swim laps. I couldn't swim 25 yards without stopping. That whole summer, I'd go to the pool every day after work and challenge myself to swim farther without a break than I had before. Long story short, I found a fun group of friends at work who ran and biked at lunch and after work, so I started tagging along. I bought a bike and they told me to go sign up for the 2002 Buffalo Springs Ironman 70.3. I did one sprint to make sure I could do the sport, but Lubbock was my first real go at it (finished 36th in age group in 5:19). I was hooked from there and registered for my first Ironman.

Following five years of work, I returned to school to earn a Masters Degree in International Studies. With the flexible student schedule, I decided that every moment I wasn't studying I would be training. I made studying my workout recovery. In 2005, I finished top-5 in my age group in Kona. After a year and a half of grad school, my racing was at a level where I knew I would be competitive in the professional field. I went to part-time studies and finished out my Masters and thesis over the next year and a half while I upped my racing. I finished grad school at the end of 2008. Since then it's been all-in for me.


Starting from not being able to run a mile or swim 25 meters without stopping, when did you feel you had what it took to become a professional triathlete? What was your first race as a pro, and how were those pre-race nerves?

Back in 2005, I left my corporate job to go back to graduate school full-time. I was set to go race Kona that October, so my plan was to race Kona, then focus on my school and a different future career. The idea of racing triathlon professionally was a dream, but I never thought it was possible. That Kona I finished top-5 in my age group. That got me thinking that I was closer than I thought. The next year I really wanted to focus on my studies, so I took a year off of full-Ironmans and raced only Ironman 70.3s to see if I could develop the speed to be competitive in the professional field. That year, I raced 5 half Ironmans as an age grouper. In all of them, I finished with times of 4:00-4:05. I won the USAT age group national championship for half Ironman, won the inaugural Ironman 70.3 Steelhead, was third age grouper overall in Clearwater at the Ironman 70.3 World Championship, and won one other half Ironman distance race. At the end of that year (2006) I felt that I would be able to race in the professional field and be competitive. I think waiting that extra year for development was key. I see too many guys getting their professional licenses these days before they are ready. Some get their pro card just because they have a qualifying time. In my opinion, the USAT requirements for a professional license are too easy. Just because a guy can make the time doesn't mean he will be competitive against the professionals. I waited that extra year to develop and prove to myself that I had the skills to compete in the pro ranks. My first professional race was Ironman Arizona in April of 2007. Incidentally, I got an achilles injury about 5 weeks out from the race. I didn't run for 4 weeks, but decided to start the race totally under trained on the run just to get one pro race under my belt. I was really nervous before the race. As soon as I got off the bike, I knew that the aqua-jogging for the previous month was not going to be enough to get me through an Ironman run. About 3 miles in, I was walking, so I dropped out as soon as I came by transition. It was a tough way to start my career, but I learned right away, you have good and bad races and have to pick your battles.

You clearly had some incredible highs in 2012, led by your first Ironman victory at Louisville in August. How long did it take to fully sink in that you’re an Ironman Champion and how has that changed you?

Winning Ironman Louisville last year was a big high for me. It really took a long time for it to sink in, in fact, I sometimes wonder if it really did sink in. We spend so much time thinking about winning a big race, that when it actually happens, it feels surreal. I don't think Louisville changed me at all. I'm the same person I was before that finish line. I think the biggest change is that when you know you've done something once, no matter how hard, you know you can do it again. Last year I didn't finish off my season well with poor races at Austin 70.3 and Ironman Cozumel. Then I started this year off at Ironman 70.3 San Juan, went off course on the run, costing me a shot at a good placement. After those three races, I think I'm even more hungry to get the old me back in races. I've worked very hard this winter and I feel like I am in much better shape now than I was at this point last year. So, if I had so say how Louisville has changed me, I'd say it's made me hungrier now for that feeling again.

From your website I see an exciting schedule (tentative) for 2013:

Ironman 70.3 San Juan - San Juan, Puerto Rico, March 17
Ironman Australia - Port Macquarie, NSW, Australia - May 5
Ironman 70.3 Kansas - Lawrence, KS - June 9
Ironman 70.3 Mont Tremblant - Mont Tremblant, Quebec, Canada - June 23
Ironman 70.3 Muncie - Muncie, IN - July 13
Ironman Louisville - Louisville, KY - August 25
Ironman 70.3 Augusta - Augusta, GA - September 29
Ironman Florida - Panama City, Florida - November 2

What are your highest priority “A” races, and what are your goals for the year? What would constitute a successful season in your mind?

That is my planned season as of now, although I must say that it always changes. I've never once raced my schedule exactly as planned. My key races are the three Ironmans on the schedule, Ironmans Australia, Louisville, and Florida. I would like to defend my title at Louisville and am looking to make an impact and be on the podiums in the other two races. Developmentally, I want to run well off the bike again. In 2011, I ran well off the bike in every race. In 2012, I never felt like I ran to my potential. I've worked hard in my Ironman Australia build at my running. My other goal for the year is to execute my swim in races so that my swimming more closely reflects how well I swim in practices. If I swim like I do in training, I will be closer on the bike, won't have to dig as much on the bike, then will have more effort for the run. They're all related, so it really comes down to the basics of training and execution. Those are my focuses for the year. Yes, the Ironman 70.3 races are important, but I feel that we have to pick where we will be most effective, and I feel that the full-Ironman is where I can make a bigger impact.

From your race reports, you sound like a guy who leaves it all out on the course. After your Louisville win you commented on taking risks during the race: “Something inside me just said go. I started riding as hard as I possibly could. I kept telling myself ‘ride as if there’s no run.'”

On a scale from 1-10, how hard would you say you typically push (10 being time trial all-out for that single discipline) on the IM and 70.3 swim and bike? In other words, does a high placing pretty much require red-lining the whole thing or can you pick your spots?

The effort level on Ironman and 70.3 are totally different. In Ironman 70.3s, I feel like I am right on the limit pretty much for the entire race. If an olympic distance is all-out at an effort of 10, then I'd say in a 70.3 I'm at an 8-9 most of the time. In Ironmans, it all comes down to pacing. I see a higher dropout rate in full Ironmans now than ever before. I think guys are going all-out on the bike to try to stay in contact with groups, then only a couple guys have the potential to run well after efforts like those. I really think there are only a few guys in the world who can really "race" an Ironman, meaning base their efforts upon those around them rather than on their own abilities. For the rest of us, it's still the cliche of racing against ourselves. Unfortunately, many guys don't realize this and try to "race" rather than "pace". I myself have fallen victim to this at times, so I'm hoping I'm a little wiser this year and race against myself. So in an Ironman, I'd say on the swim I'm at about an 8 and on the bike closer to a 7 in terms of effort. Some guys are more concerned with showing a fast bike split than their overall placement. What's the point of a 4:20-something bike if you can't run under 3-hours off the bike?

Age groupers doing this primarily for fun get nervous before races – I can’t imagine what it would be like to race for a paycheck. How do you handle the pressure in the days and minutes before a race?

First, if I get nerves, I try to remind myself how many races I've done since I've started. I remind myself that it's only a race, it's no different than any one of the many I've done in the past. Yes, it's my job and with that comes some degree of pressure, but if I build up the race too much, I run the risk of being emotionally exhausted before the start. I allow myself to get nervous only one time before each race. Normally it’s a day or two before. I acknowledge the nerves, accept them, then tell myself that nothing will come of dwelling on them, only mentally exhausting myself. If you watch Kona each year, there are many athletes that perform nowhere near what they do in other races. I think this is partially due to the fact that everyone builds up the race so much that many get to the start line more emotionally and mentally tired than they realize.

It seems to me from afar that most of the pros get along extremely well and are very friendly with each other. Excluding Macca in his prime you don’t hear much trash talking, etc. Is that really the case or is the competition and rivalries really much more fierce below the surface?

For the male professionals, behind the scenes, I think it's more like a fraternity. It's an individual sport, but we all know that by training together, we can help elevate ourselves. We don't have a team like in cycling to train with, so we work together. Most of the guys I've been around are actually very humble. First of all, other than the top few in the sport, no one is getting wealthy in triathlon, so it's hard to get too arrogant when most amateurs are making more than the pros. Second, I'll use my basketball analogy. When Lebron James starts a game, the difference between a good and bad game is if he scores 15 points or 35 points. In Ironman, there is no guarantee that anyone will even finish the race, let alone win it. There are too many variables on any given day. I think that tends to keep the guys pretty grounded as individuals. I also feel like the guys are good at turning the competitive spirit on and off. Just like playing basketball with your friends in the driveway as a kid, before and after you were best friends, but when the game is on you would cut your best buddy off at the knees. Before and after the race, we're good friends. When the start gun goes, we compete hard because we want to win.

From your blog I know you’ve put in a lot of training over time with Richie Cunningham. In addition to Richie, what fellow pros do you most respect and why?

I respect all of my buddies and most of my competition. I know how hard it is to train day in and day out for this sport. The guys who are putting in the work and making it happen always deserve respect. I do not respect the guys who cheat. Drafting on the bike has really gotten worse in races over the last couple years. There are guys who sit in the groups and won't do any work. If the draft marshal isn't around, they're sitting 3 meters behind you. As soon as they hear the motor bike, they drift back to 10 meters. In the pro field we know who those guys are. I see them because coming out of the swim a little behind, I bike past them. They will be biking a much slower pace, but then they sprint to get on my wheel as I come past. I look at race results and I know who those guys are also because their bike splits from race to race are like hot or cold depending if they are biking alone or have a wheel to sit behind. Then there are the other cheaters, those who cut courses, get outside assistance, and of course drugs. It happens more in this sport than most age groupers realize. I have no respect for cheaters. I think they are weak, weak people.

You’ve got Ironman Australia quickly approaching (May 5th). What led you to choose this race for your schedule? Following your experience at San Juan 70.3 (a turn wasn’t clearly marked and Pat lost time running off course), is part of you still ticked and ready to wreak havoc down under?

This winter, my original plan was to race Panama 70.3 then Ironman Cabos, but I had a running injury in January that put my training behind if I wanted to be fit for those really early races. I changed my plan and was looking to race a half in March (San Juan 70.3), then have a training block, building into a May Ironman. Logic would say I should race Ironman Texas, because it's only a 3 hour drive from my home in Austin, but I needed something different. I raced Ironman Texas the last two years, neither of which I felt like I performed. Thinking about Ironman Texas, I just didn't get excited. For one thing, I wanted a break from really hot Ironmans. In the last 3 years, I've raced Texas twice, Louisville three times, and Cozumel three times; all hot races. I'm good in the heat, but I think the hot ones take more out of you than the others. I think we need to choose races that get us excited and inspired in training. I love traveling to new places so I was looking for a destination. So I looked at Brazil and Australia, from which I eventually chose Australia because I liked the timing for my year better being 3 weeks earlier. Being excited for a race has really helped me keep focus in training over the last couple months. I'm ready to go to Australia and see what I can do.

Among the following choices, how would you divvy up the credit (100%) for a race gone extremely well?  For these purposes let’s quantify that as being on the podium at an Ironman or 70.3.

Coaching: 10%
DNA/natural ability: 10%
Equipment: 2%
Luck/feeling great “on the day”: 10%
Mental toughness: 16%
Race strategy/tactics: 2%
Training: 50%

Besides a blistering swim/bike/run, you’re also known for your title sponsor, Little Caesar’s. Side note: I used to be strictly a Papa John’s guy, but I’ve got to admit that you can’t beat the value of a hot n ready Little Caesar’s pizza for 5 bucks! That is the "go to" meal when I'm alone with my kids for dinner. They’ve clearly been a great sponsor for you, but do you ever get tired of people yelling “pizza pizza” at you?

I never get tired of the "pizza pizza" cheers. The partnership between Little Caesars Pizza and myself has been wonderful and I love being associated with such a great company and brand. The fact that more people in the sport probably know me as the "Little Caesars guy" than know my name I think is a great testament to the brand recognition of the company and getting the message out there that pizza can be a part of a healthy lifestyle and training regime. Every professional triathlete I know enjoys a pizza for dinner. I'm excited to continue to work with Little Caesars to get this message out in the fitness community and in triathlon.

I'm grateful for all of my sponsors, and they each play a huge role in my success. TYR provides me with the best wetsuits and speedsuits in the sport. PowerBar's nutrition products have been a key part in my training and racing. RecoveryPump has been a critical aspect of my training and recovery and I truly believe the product has helped to take my training to the next level. Jack and Adam's Bicycles in Austin is always there to support me and my racing. Felt has put me on such an amazing bike, the 2012 Felt DA, and HED Cycling has provided me with the best wheels and aerobars on the market. Champion System has provided me with the race and training clothing that you see in my pictures. Brooks Airbrush Studio painted up my amazing aerohelmet this year. Advanced Rehabilitation in Austin helps to keep me healthy for training and racing, and Hill Country Running Company is a great help with my running equipment. SBR Sports Inc's products are also a great help for racing and training. Also I want to thank my family and friends for their unending support for me. Without these people and sponsors, I would not be able to pursue this dream.


Follow Pat as he heads to Australia this week and beyond! 

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Website & blog: patrickevoe.com