A Match In Time!

In February, I wrote about the amazing I Run 4 program. 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. 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! You can read more about that amazing program here: http://imronman.blogspot.com/2014/02/who-do-you-run-for.html !

After signing up for a "buddy" on January 15, 2014, I patiently waited and watched my number slowly drop from the low 2000's to the teens. Three months and 25 days later, on the eve of my Gulf Coast Triathlon (70.3) triathlon, I received my match! As if getting ready for a big race wasn't enough excitement, I now had a buddy to help motivate me even more and to dedicate my workouts/miles to!



My buddy, Toby, is 24 years old. Toby has Cerebral Palsy, Epilepsy, and a handful of other challenging diagnoses. Even with these challenges, Toby stays active with the Special Olympics, competing in Track & Field events and Swimming. Just last weekend, Toby competed in the Special Olympics Area Games and will be going to the State Games next weekend!


One of the things that struck me as fate when I was first being introduced to Toby, by his amazing mother, Wendy, was that they live in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho! I hadn't heard of Coeur d'Alene ever before 14 teammates from my triathlon training team, TriAttic (http://www.TriAttic.com), signed up for IRONMAN Coeur d'Alene, to be held in late June, 2014! What are the odds?! The bike course even goes right by Toby's neighborhood and they like to go out and cheer for the athletes!

So, as I dedicate my daily workouts to Toby, find strength in what he does every day, and get to know him better, I just want to share this amazing program with you. So, whether you're looking for someone to provide inspiration to, derive inspiration from, or if you know someone with special needs who might benefit from having someone run for them, please visit the I Run 4 site (http://www.whoirun4.com) and sign up?!

Toby, "Isn't it great?!"

TRYING to Go Halfway at Halfway.

May 1, 2014 was two weeks ago, now. That marks the halfway point in time between my signing up for IRONMAN Florida and the event itself, on November 1, 2014. They said the time would fly by, but I did not believe them. It is flying! So many great things have happened since I signed up, but it is still hard to believe that I am now officially halfway there!

I never realized, when I signed up for the Gulf Coast Triathlon (70.3), that it would fall just a week after the "official" halfway point between signup and what will be the biggest race of my life, IRONMAN Florida. I was going to be attempting to do EXACTLY one half of the distance I would need to do for IRONMAN on the EXACT same course that I would be doing IRONMAN Florida on! I was going to go halfway at halfway!!! Or so I thought... I was excited beyond words about this race. I was well-trained and ready to put down a solid race. I always love racing, but knowing that I would be staying in the same place and running the exact course where (I hope!) so many dreams will come true and where so much of my focus and attention will be this year... it was beyond exciting.

Racked by the brakes? Winds were
tossing bikes hung by the seat
around like CRAZY!

The day before the race, we did a very short brick workout to check our equipment, check our bodies, and to check the water conditions. Winds along Front Beach Road and Thomas Drive were crazy on the bike. The waves were 3 - 6' with two large sets of breakers to pass before getting to calmer seas. We practiced charging through that maelstrom three times until we felt confident! We knew the evening called for a 60% chance of storms and that race day would likely be wet. We wrapped up our bikes and checked them in to transition.

Race day came without drop of rain falling during the night. The chances of rain were still there, but diminishing. And the water even looked different. Waves were MUCH lighter, but something still wasn't right. When the rescue boats, kayaks, jetskis, etc. had difficulty getting into position and then found it nearly impossible to hold their position, we knew things did not look good for the swim. CURRENTS!!! The unseen currents made it impossible for the rescue craft to hold position or be able to get to a potential distressed swimmer in a timely manner. For the first time in its 32-year history, the Gulf Coast Triathlon cancelled the swim.

Gulf Coast Triathlon Cancels Swim For First Time In History.

With the swim cancelled, they went to a time-trial start run from the beach to transition. This meant that each athlete in the various swim waves would begin ~3 seconds apart. This pushed the time for us to start the bike to even later than it would have been with the swim. And that, naturally, moved the time that we would be doing the run to later in the day, when the heat and humidity would be even more brutal.

The winds on the bike were incredible. This was evidenced by the fact that, at one point, for three miles, I strung together a 25.5 mph average speed with what would be a 20 mph effort for me. While that wind was great going out, it was murder coming back. That's where I got to see 15 mph averages for 20 mph effort! I felt like I adhered to my plan on effort and stayed on top of my nutrition and hydration.

Just SO happy to cross that
Finish Line!!!

And then, there was the run. The heat and humidity were more than any of us had had the opportunity to train in this year. I stuck to my plan and had a pretty solid effort going until somewhere between miles 9 and 10. There, for the first time in my life, I found out what "the wall" felt like, looked like, sounded like, and maybe even tasted like. I was walking EVERY water stop and even a couple of short intervals in between! I had always thought that I would see my heart rate spike when I just couldn't go on and was putting in so much effort to try to keep moving. Instead, I could not get my heart rate up. 

In reviewing my data after the race, it looks like I went a little too hard on the bike. Not a total blowup, but still a little harder than I should have. And, even though I thought I had stayed on top of my nutrition, we (my coach and I) are now thinking I may have ran out of steam on the run because of nutrition. Too hard on the bike + too little nutrition + heat/humidity = bonk on run!

They say that misery loves company. While I would NEVER wish a bad race on my friends and fellow athletes, it did help my pride a little bit to know that I wasn't the only one who suffered. Across the board I received confirmation that the conditions were just brutal and that everyone's energy was sapped by the humidity. Like I talked about in my last post, I'm all about finding the positives in my training and racing. There were so many positives in this one. I think I probably learned more from my bonk than I EVER would have by simply going out and hitting my numbers.

So, I tried to go halfway at halfway and was thwarted by forces out of my control. The remainder of the race that was in my control was less than stellar. I'm still very happy with my overall effort and even happier with what I learned. And I KNOW that this new-found knowledge will help me go ALL THE WAY when it matters most... IRONMAN Florida 2014, November 1, 2014!

My wife, Michelle, had a GREAT race
and my kids were AMAZING sherpas!

---

P.S. - Remember back in early February when I posted about the AMAZING I Run 4 organization? (Who Do YOU Run For?) Well, I'm so very excited to let you know that, the day before I ran the Gulf Coast Triathlon, I received my match! I now have an incredible buddy, Toby! We are just getting to know each other, so I sincerely hope to be able to tell you more about him and this amazing organization in a couple of weeks! STAY TUNED!!!

How to ALWAYS win!

Four years ago and nearly 300 lbs!

I love triathlon. I love training and competing. I do not apologize for my enthusiasm for the sport of triathlon. What some might mistake for over-intensity or cockiness is really just elation. Elation over that fact that, less than four years ago, I was too lazy to get off the couch to walk around the block, but now I have boundless energy. While I have never been proud of how much I let myself go for all of those years, there is no mistaking the pride I have in the fact that I found myself, buried deep inside the lethargy, and brought myself back to a lifestyle that I could not be enjoying more!

My enthusiasm is due, in part, to something that I would say is my strongest trait. It allows me to stand before you and claim to be undefeated in the sport of triathlon. That is right. I always win and I plan to keep on winning. Here is why I say that and the secret to how you can, too! It comes down to motivation.

There are volumes written on the subject of motivation. Motivation is defined as the process that initiates, guides, and maintains goal-oriented behaviors. More important than just a pep talk about “motivation” is understanding the relative and important differences between the broad types of motivation labelled as intrinsic and extrinsic motivation.

Intrinsic motivation involves engaging in a behavior because it is personally rewarding; essentially, performing an activity for its own sake rather than the desire for some external reward. External motivation is when we engage in a behavior or perform an activity in order to earn a reward or avoid a punishment.

Intrinsic: You find it enjoyable, challenging, and exciting. (Motivation arises from within the individual. Task oriented or performance related.)

Extrinsic: You do it to obtain an award or avoid a negative outcome or punishment. (Motivation arises from outside the individual. Ego oriented or outcome related.)

Studies suggest that intrinsic motivation is best. However, in some cases, people simply have no internal desire to perform an activity. In these cases and when used appropriately, extrinsic motivators/rewards can be a useful tool. However, extrinsic rewards can be counterproductive if you already find the activity intrinsically rewarding. The best example of this is how they can make the “play” activity seem too much like “work”! How many times have we heard, “Trying to keep up with all of these workouts is too much like work!”?

"A person's interest often survives when a reward is used neither to bribe nor to control but to signal a job well done, as in a "most improved player" award. If a reward boosts your feeling of competence after doing good work, your enjoyment of the task may increase. Rewards, rightly administered, can motivate high performance and creativity. And extrinsic rewards (such as scholarships, admissions, and jobs that often follow good grades) are here to stay," explains David G. Meyers in his text, Psychology: Eighth Edition in Modules.

Being intrinsically motivated, I am much less interested in beating the other person as I am doing the best I can for my current abilities. Intrinsic motivation is so beautiful in that it allows me to only be concerned with what is within me... within my control. The fact that it rains on race day and slows down my bike split does not ruin my day. I readjust my expectations and perform to the best of my abilities for the conditions. When I do have a bad performance, I will look for the lessons of the day and make the necessary adjustments for the next time. But, no matter what, I am always going to find the positives in my performance and celebrate those!

Some quotes get “overused” because they are so fitting. One that came to mind while writing this was, “It’s not whether you win or lose, it’s how you play the game!” Can there be a better quote to illustrate intrinsic and extrinsic motivation?! In that quote we see that the outcome, what is dictated after the activity is completed (extrinsic), does not matter when compared to what takes place during the activity (intrinsic). THAT is the important part!

Remember, when you are intrinsically motivated, motivation comes from within. The only competition is yourself. If you have the right motivation, you can always find something positive in your training or event. If you can do that, you can never lose! You ALWAYS win!

So, are you intrinsically or extrinsically motivated?

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”!!!