Hi-Yo Giggles, Away! An Exciting 2014 Triathlon Season Begins!

What is sure to be an exciting triathlon season kicked off for me with our area's traditional, season-opener, the Red Hills Triathlon.

The Red Hills Triathlon features a 1/3-mile swim in Alfred B. Maclay Gardens State Park's spring-fed Lake Hall. This is followed by a 16-mile bike course that rolls along scenic canopy roads and some of Tallahassee's most challenging hills. The event finishes with a 3.1-mile run along mostly trails featuring a challenging mix of gravel, sand, tree roots, and sharp turns.



The majority of my season will be focused on two half and one full IRONMAN distance events, so a sprint distance event early in the season would be an opportunity to have fun and try to go "fast"! Well, fast for me, anyway!




Overall I had a very good race and bested my time from last year by nearly five minutes! My only real disappointment was, early on the bike, I felt some "twinges" in my left calf that I feared might turn into cramps and lead to damage. Being so early in the season, I didn't want to push it and risk any setbacks. So, I backed off on the bike and really backed off on the run. I may have gained a little bit of time on the bike, had I pushed, but was most disappointed with a run time that was at least two minutes slower than I am easily capable of. On a 5K run, that's a lot...


Oh well, like I said, overall I'm happy with the results and improvement from last year. IRONMAN Florida is the BIG goal this year. Playing safe early in the season will hopefully help me stay in the best shape possible to attain that goal! And the opportunity for improvement only means that, after I get this whole "IRONMAN thing" out of the way this year, I can come back next year and really put it all out there!

If you are wondering about the "Giggles" reference, you'll have to do some additional reading. I had the honor of being asked to write a "race report" for the local newspaper The Tallahassee Democrat. Rather than simply do something on how my race went and who finished where, I decided to tell the story of my "Red Hills Odyssey". It hasn't been published in their online version and I'm not sure if there are plans to. So, I've included a link to the e-newspaper copy here: No wimping out: My Red Hills odyssey. I hope you enjoy it!

Oh no, Let's Go... Crazy Brick!

Sung to the tune of “Let’s Go Crazy”, with apologies to the artist formerly known as Prince…

Are we gonna let this brick
Bring us down, oh no, let’s go
Let’s go crazy, let’s get nuts
Lock that pace and nutrition in
So your next Tri will not suck, let’s go!





On a recent Sunday, the coaches of TriAttic (http://www.TriAttic.com) hosted a “Crazy Brick” group workout for area triathletes that really knocked my socks off. (Well, technically I wasn’t wearing socks for this workout, but you know what I mean?!) It was unique enough that I thought I’d share, in hopes that you might want to shake up your workouts with a “Crazy Brick” and will get the same value from it that I did!

First, a “Crazy Brick” is simply intervals/sets of one (1) hour biking and 20 minutes running, doing as many as you would like, repeating up to five (5) times. One of the great things about this workout is that it is scalable for any distance you are training for. Scalable in the number of sets and in intensity (heart rate zone - HRZ). Just to clarify, heart rate zones for each set are the same for the bike and run portion. Here is what you do for each distance:

Sprint/Olympic:

1 Set: Zone 2 - 4

70.3:
2 - 3 Sets.
Set 1: Zone 1 - 2
Set 2: Zone 3
Set 3: Zone 1 - 2

140.6:
4 - 5 Sets.
Set 1: Zone 1 - 2
Set 2: Zone 2 - 3
Set 3: Zone 1 - 2

Set 4: Zone 2 - 3
Set 5: Zone 1 - 2

The transition area had transition racks and a canopy popup tent with a table for additional hydration and nutrition. If you're doing this on your own, the only consideration will be about securing your bike during your run. This transition area was setup in a location that offered the benefit of two (2) bike routes. One was hilly for athletes training for upcoming "hilly" races (IRONMAN Coeur d'Alene, IRONMAN Chattanooga, IRONMAN Augusta 70.3, etc.) and a flat one for athletes training for "flat" races (IRONMAN Florida 70.3, Gulf Coast Triathlon 70.3, IRONMAN Florida, etc.). The run course was a nice, rolling, 2.25 mile loop, allowing you to do and out and back or the full loop as necessary for your 20 minute run sets.

I learned so much from this workout! I chose to do three (3) sets, since my next biggest race will be a 70.3. I alternated the bike courses, going hilly/flat/hilly. This was particularly challenging as set 1 and set 3 were meant to have the lower heart rate zones, but had the most challenging terrain.

SUCCESSES: I felt strong and could have tacked on another set or two. Mental focus was there the whole time. I'm learning that my mental focus is tightly attached to my hydration and nutrition. I felt both were spot on! I never saw a dip in energy or focus!

FAILURES: I was supposed to be in heart rate zone 1 - 2 for sets 1 and 3. Instead, I averaged high heart rate zone 3!!! Why? For set 1 I was too "jacked up". I was simply too pumped up by seeing so many friends out there and being just so excited about the workout. This lead to me pushing too hard. For set 3, it was a combination of the hills and a nice little headwind on the return that picked up and was really taking a bite out of my pace!

Only doing a four hour workout on this day, pushing too hard in the first hour did not lead to a "crash" or "bonk" later in the workout. However, had this been my IRONMAN Florida and I went out that hard, it wouldn't have been pretty. I am very high energy to the point of almost being too excitable at races. I will HAVE to learn to reel it in when I first start the bike and when first starting the run. DISCIPLINE!!! These are places I traditionally have to really work to bring my heart rate down to where it should be so I can finish STRONG! In the future, having the hilly bike route for sets 1 and 3, when I am supposed to be holding a lower heart rate will really be a smart plan. It forces me to work on the discipline I will need to have to keep my effort (HRZ) where it needs to be to have a successful race. For me, a "successful race" is racing at the top of my fitness while being able to thoroughly enjoy the journey and after-party! LOL!


Maybe THAT should be my mantra, "Race Hard, Race Smart, Podium the After-Party!"

Hope you try a "Crazy Brick" and learn lots from it!

2014 GATE River Run - USA 15K Championship Race Report!

The first "A Race" of the 2014 schedule is behind me and it did not disappoint! This is my 3rd GATE River Run, in Jacksonville, Florida. This race is, hands-down, my favorite running race. It's the outstanding expo, the amazing course, and the first-rate community support that make this one so special!

The GATE River Run is the largest 15K race in the United States and once again served as the USA 15K Championship with America's top Olympic athletes competing! The course starts at the stadium, the home of the Jacksonville Jaguars, runs through the heart of downtown Jacksonville where the race crosses the St. Johns River over the Main Street Bridge, runs through historic San Marco, down Atlantic Blvd to the beautiful and scenic St. Nicolas area, and then crosses the river for the second time over the"Green Monster", the Hart Bridge, and features a one mile downhill to the finish at the stadium.

The Hart Bridge, a.k.a. - The Green Monster

While my training has been going well, I just didn't know if I would be faster, this year. The real hesitation came when I began developing a head cold/sinus infection on Monday afternoon, only a few short days before the race. Being that this was the first "cold" I've had in quite some time, I was duly concerned. So concerned that I actually skipped a few workouts to rest up. (Those knowing me well will understand the gravity of the situation when I'm skipping workouts! LOL!) Fortunately, I w
as feeling better by Thursday and decided to go ahead and do a short, ~3 mile run just to see how my lungs and legs felt. Everything checked out and I thought there might be a chance to make my goal.


My amazing coach, Coach Sandy Holt, of TriAttic (http://www.triattic.com/) was either hedging her bets or trying to motivate me to greatness by telling me, in my race plan:

"Ron - you will have to work for a PR on this one. But you CAN do it! Have fun and race hard!"

I don't know if I was reading between the lines or not, but in my head, that screamed, "Yeah, you probably can't do it!" LOL! So, that is where my head was. However, I was feeling like I was probably over the cold and headed into race weekend with at least a chance.

Just me and 15,500 friends!

Race morning arrived after a night of fitful sleep to reveal PERFECT conditions. It was sunny, mid-50s, and hardly any wind. This allowed for the optimal clothing of a singlet and running shorts without having to be concerned with arm warmers, gloves, etc that another 5 - 10 degrees colder or windy conditions may have dictated.

My coach has me training by heart rate. My 15K was broken up into three 5k "races". No higher than 173 HR for first 5K, no higher than 180 HR for second 5K, and let 'er rip for last 5K!

I wrote my goal heart rates for the 3 segments
of my race on my hand before the race.

After reviewing the Garmin data, I could not WAIT to post my workout for my coach! The data showed my first 5K average of... 173 (!!!) and my second 5K average of... 180!!! That's right, NAILED IT!!! YES!!!

The end result was beating my GOAL of 1:14:30 with a 1:12:28. That's an improvement of ~3:30 over last year, too!

I beat my seeding of 1291 by finishing 1,176/15,500 overall. 98/753 in my 45 - 49 Age Group. 947/7151 out of all Males.

This just reaffirms that I need to keep doing what my coach tells me and the results will follow. I'm also hoping that this is a harbinger of what the rest of this year will be like?!

Just a few of the AMAZING athletes from Tallahassee's Gulf Winds Track Club,
 who also participated in the 2014 Gate River Run!!!

Wrapping Up the USAT 2013-2014 National Challenge Competition!

A couple of months ago, I wrote about the USA Triathlon (USAT) organization's National Challenge Competition. This is the competition that the USAT hosts to keep triathletes motivated and active during the “off-season” by inviting triathlon clubs from around the country to go head-to-head from December to February by logging training miles in all three disciplines.

There are three sessions, Swim (December), Bike (January), and Run (February. During each session everyone trains in all three disciplines, but awards are given for the team and athletes with the most mileage for that month’s discipline and again for the overall competition.

First, I have to say that the competition works as the USAT would hope for me, personally. I do find that I am more motivated to complete my training because it will benefit the club! Evidently, a good number of my fellow Division 1 (The largest division in the competition!) club members felt the same way! I’m happy to report that the team I was on, Gulf Winds Triathletes Team 1 (We were large enough to have two teams this year!), recorded the following finishes:

Swim: 4th Overall with 8,842.09 weighted Swim miles.

Bike: 6th Overall with 14,638.56 weighted Bike miles.

Run: 4th Overall with 10,848.78 weighted Run miles.

And drumroll, please…. Overall: 3rd with 93,619.03 weighted miles.

Again, I think the NCC was great motivation to keep training and I’m happy to report I contributed the following, unweighted miles:

28 Swims: 34.56 miles.

29 Rides (Bike): 560.09 miles.

36 Runs: 204.08 miles.

I am probably most pleased to report that the overall winning athlete of the entire competition was my team’s very own, Chuck Kemeny, with 10,448.20 weighted miles. If you start to ask yourself how someone could put up that many miles, you have to understand that it was done on his way to a Ultraman World Record performance of 21:38:32 at the inaugural Ultraman Florida, February 21 - 23, 2014! 

And… if you’re unfamiliar with what an “Ultraman” is, that’s 6.2 miles swimming, 261.4 miles biking, and 52.4 miles running across three days!!! Just… WOW!

See ya next “off-season”! LOL… “off-season”!!!

Ironmaner? Ironmen? IRONMAN?

While you are likely to find plenty of errors in the grammar I use here (relaxed style common to the blogosphere), I like to think that I have a fair grasp on both grammar and the English language. I am a Certified Master Trainer (Training Manager, Instructional Designer/Developer, and Performance Consultant) and am married to an English major. When in doubt, I am quick to refer to an appropriate "style guide" to help me with whatever topic I am working on.

In writing about triathlons and specifically the Ironman brand, I find there are some very unique challenges and a lack of any solid guidelines. There is no "style guide" for Ironman! So, how do I get it right?

First, let's establish what "Ironman" is. According to Wikipedia, "The World Triathlon Corporation (WTC) is a for-profit corporation, owned by Providence Equity Partners, that organizes, promotes and licenses the Ironman Triathlon, Ironman 70.3, and the 5150 series of triathlon races.[1][2] WTC is also the owner of numerous "Ironman" related trademarks used both in connection with Ironman race series' and in conjunction with various goods and services."

So, with that known, you would think that perusing their own website(s) would provide me with some answers to my questions? Not so. In fact, one can almost find more inconsistencies on their sites than you can on other popular forums! Since WTC is going to be no help, let's just get the questions out there and see what YOU think?

Ironman Participant?
This one is probably the easiest one for most of us. The person competing in an Ironman triathlon is... an Ironman. Right? Well, not if you follow the logic of one poster in the popular Slowtwitch forums. They simply throw out the "agent noun" argument.

Run = Runner. Race = Racer. Marathon = Marathoner. Ironman = Ironmaner?! The best argument against this was put forth as, "By that logic, Lance Armstrong would be a 'cycler' and not a 'cyclist'!" So, should we go with Ironmanist? No, I think we can agree to just stick with "Ironman"?! OK?

Ironman Plural?
This one is more difficult than it sounds. First, we have to decide if we're talking about the competitor or the event! If it's the event, this one seems to be pretty consistently agreed upon. The correct term for having competed in multiple Ironman events would be "Ironmans". "My coach has competed in more Ironmans than I can count!"

My confusion when talking about the competitor, comes from Mike Reilly himself. Mike Reilly, in his 25th year as "The Voice of Ironman" has become almost synonymous with becoming an Ironman finisher. Hearing his voice announce, "(Your Name Here), YOU are an Ironman!!!" I can tell you for a fact that it will be one of the most exciting things I ever hear, should I be fortunate enough to hear it on November 1, 2014! Anyway, at last year's IRONMAN Florida, I repeatedly heard Mike say, "(Name Number 1) and (Name Number 2), YOU are an Ironman!!!" when two people would cross the line together at roughly the same time. NOT, "...YOU are Ironmen!!!" Nope, "Ironman"... applying to both of them. Was it because he's just so used to saying to individuals and THAT is the particular phrasing that people want to hear?

I think the jury is out on this one, but it just feels more natural for me to call that group of Ironman finishers at the bar, a group of "Ironmen"!

Ironman Capitalized?
Looking back at some of my past posts, I've mixed writing "Ironman" and "IRONMAN". In this particular post, I've purposely done it lowercase so as to not taint the jury pool. In days of yore, you would find it written on WTC's site as both lower and uppercase. Viewing it today, the capitalized version is dominant. So... capitalized it shall be from here on out! IRONMAN!

IRONMAN Events?
Last year I did my first "IRONMAN"-branded event, the half-IRONMAN in Augusta, Georgia. Writing about it was my first experience with the inconsistency of IRONMAN. I would find it written, in official publications, as IRONMAN 70.3 Augusta, Ironman Augusta 70.3, 70.3 Ironman Augusta, and even other, more bizarre permutations. In the end, I let the most commonly found phrasing sway me and went with IRONMAN 70.3 Augusta.

Who is an IRONMAN?
No IRONMAN conversation is complete without a discussion (argument) about exactly WHO gets to call themselves an IRONMAN! This will be a short conversation since it seems to be the most contentious online. Here are a couple of the more "fringe" beliefs out there that I, personally, don't subscribe to:

• ONLY the winner of the IRONMAN World Championship in Kona has the right to call themselves an IRONMAN.
• ONLY the winner of any IRONMAN-branded competition has the right to call themselves an IRONMAN.

Another fringe belief (in my estimation) is that by participating in ANY IRONMAN-branded event of ANY distance qualifies you to call yourself an IRONMAN.

It is my belief that anyone completing an IRONMAN-branded, 140.6 event, prior to the cutoff, can call themselves an IRONMAN. What about non-IRONMAN-branded events that are still 140.6 events? I'm not sure where I fall on that one.

IRONMAN Branded Clothing and Gear?
It is hard to talk about who can call themselves an IRONMAN without talking about how they display that fact in their clothing and gear. So, who can wear IRONMAN clothing and gear? I say that, as long as it's not "Finisher" gear, anyone who has completed an IRONMAN-branded event of any distance (70.3 or 140.6) can wear the logo and name. I even go a step farther and say anyone who is registered for and training for said event can wear the logo and name. That is because I believe getting to the starting line of an IRONMAN event is an accomplishment in itself! However, you only get the M Dot tattoo if you've completed an IRONMAN-branded, 140.6 event! I'm pretty sure that one is a law?!

OK, enough of my borderline neurotic ramblings on these topics. I'd love to hear what you think about these topics surrounding the IRONMAN name and designation! Sound off in the Comments, please?!

Who Do YOU Run For?

I think that most people who know me well have probably heard me say how I feel that we are truly blessed to be able to do what we do. To have the resources, the freedom, and, most importantly, the health to live an active lifestyle is a blessing that so many do NOT have!

With that in mind, I have found a group out there that is truly amazing and touches so many lives in so many ways that it is hard to put into words. In the short time I have been affiliated with this group, it has touched my heart every day! That group is I Run 4 (IR4).



"After an inspiration from a close friend who was battling bilateral hip dysplasia - Founder Tim Boyle found a whole new inspiration to run." The I Run 4 website (http://www.whoirun4.com) and its companion, the I Run For Michael Facebook group (https://www.facebook.com/groups/irunformichael) exist to match runners with an honorary runner (a child or adult with special needs), who they dedicate their workouts to. Yes, don't be put off by the word, "run" in the title. This group is open to anyone participating in any activity. I see lots of people doing any number of activities from snow-shoeing to Crossfit to simply walking, dedicating their workouts to the person they are "running" for!

As the site says, "The mental and emotional encouragement for both runner and honorary runner is proving to be a whole new level of motivation and awareness. Runners are able to find a whole new sense of purpose in their running while sharing who they are running for and bringing awareness to diseases and disabilities of all types."

So, how do you provide this encouragement? Per the site, "Make your honorary runner feel special - they LOVE seeing messages, but they LOVE, LOVE seeing photos too!! Want some ideas?? Here are a few:"

• Upload your photos and message, dedicating your workout to your honorary runner, to your personal Facebook page.
• Upload your photos and message, dedicating your workout to your honorary runner, to the I Run For Michael Facebook page.
• Tag IR4 on Facebook or Twitter (@whodoUrun4) and Instagram using hashtag #IR4.

Other recommendations for encouragement are:

• Write your honorary runners name on your arm for a race.
• Make a special shirt to wear, with their name and IR4 on it.
• Make signs to hold up in pics before/after runs and races.
• Ask their parents something special they like and hold it up in pics. Do they like Barbies? Find a Barbie pin to wear to races and keep a list of every race that pin has run in!
• With permission from the parents, ask if you can send race medals or other race swag to them so they can have mementos!

Unfortunately or fortunately, depending on how you look at it, the matching process takes time. A lot of time. Right now, I think it takes about 9 - 10 weeks to be matched. About a week after signing up, the official list was released and I was number 2,033 on the match list! However, in one recent weekend, I seem to recall around 90 matches being made. And it appears that the staff are busy making matches nearly every day! So, please don't think the process is being held up for no good reason. If you think about the amount of work to take in the information of those needing a match and looking for a match and then getting those people together, you can understand the reason it takes awhile.

One of the great things about this group is that you don't have to sit idly by while waiting for your match. There are a lot of people that haven't been matched and those needing prayer that can benefit from your efforts on their behalf. In fact, you are encouraged to begin posting, to get into the habit, for the unmatched and those needing prayer while you wait for your match!

So, if you're looking for a whole new world of inspiration for your workouts and the opportunity to be an even bigger inspiration for someone else... please consider visiting the I Run 4 website: http://www.whoirun4.com!

2014: The Mileage!

In 2014, I am scheduled to take part in three Triathlon Sprints, two Half-Ironman Distance Triathlons, an IRONMAN (IRONMAN Florida), a few competitive run races, and a couple of non-competitive bike "rides". I have received a few questions about what kind of "mileage" I'm doing and see a lot of talk about weekly "mileage" out there.






I have an outstanding USAT-certified coach, Sandy Holt of TriAttic (http://www.TriAttic.com), who understands individual abilities, goal setting, tactics, movement analysis, progressive training techniques, and sport psychology. Our focus is never miles for the sake of miles. However, I do understand that "mileage" is something quantifiable in many training plans and something people can more easily compare with their particular plan. For that reason, I'll be sharing my weekly "mileage" here, for you!

The mileage and training posted here will be what I actually do and not simply what was planned. Life does get in the way and I think it's more beneficial to see what I've done than what I should have been doing if all things were perfect. In addition to raw mileage from swimming, biking, and running, I will be including yoga, gym sessions (weights, etc.), and other workouts that I think were an important part of my training!

Enjoy and feel free to message me if you have any questions!

You can jump to the 2014 Mileage page here: http://imronman.blogspot.com/p/2014-mileage.html or simply click the 2014 Mileage tab in the top navigation bar of this blog!