Ironman Chattanooga 2014 Race Report

It's hard to know where to start when sitting down to write this race report. I usually recap the days before the race, but as I sit here beginning to type I think I will break this entire race experience into 2 posts. One will focus on eating and the events leading up to race day, and the other will only focus on the race itself. So without further ado... my race report for the inaugural Ironman Chattanooga Triathlon. (bear with me as I didn't want to leave anything out so it is a bit lengthy.

Race Morning Has Arrived


I woke up to my alarm blaring at 4:30am. I slept pretty well considering the challenge that I knew was lurking ahead. I popped up out of bed and grabbed a quick shower to feel fresh and awake for the start of the race. After double checking that I had everything I needed for the swim (swim cap, goggles treated with baby shampoo, heart rate monitor, and timing chip) I had my lovely wife assist me in the application of my Tri Tat racing numbers. I ate a cinnamon raisin bagel and drank about half of my bottle of Infinit before walking out the door to head to the race site. My parents were there the entire weekend so I didn't have to worry about driving and parking as I was dropped off with my mom and wife about a block from transition.

I quickly got my bottles situated on the bike, borrowed a pump from a fellow racer, and then said my quick goodbyes before getting in line for the shuttle that would take me to the swim start. I arrived at the swim start at 6:00am and quickly jumped in line for the porta-potty before I snagged my spot in the line to wait for the swim start. This was a time trial swim start so the order was first-come, first-serve. I was hoping to find some of my North GA Tri Club friends in line and wait with them, but I couldn't track anyone down and decided it was smarter to get in line and sit down rather than wander around looking for people in the dark. I walked for what felt like a half mile down the Riverwalk until I reached the back of the line. Now it was time to wait. To sit and let my mind wander about the day. I casually chatted with the people around me and we swapped stories about where we were from, if this was our first Ironman, and what we had done to prepare for the race. It was clear that everyone was nervous. Even the woman who was lined up behind me, who was racing her 3rd Ironman, was contemplating every few seconds whether to wear a wetsuit or not. (The water temp on race morning was 77° and that meant not wetsuit legal, but you could still wear one and give up the option of winning age group awards) The line slowly began to move and as we got closer to the front, we could hear Mike Riley's voice getting people excited and keeping them moving onto the dock and jumping in the water. It was still a little dark, but plenty light enough to swim. I opted for no wetsuit as I'm a strong swimmer and felt that the wetsuit might make my shoulders tired from pulling against the sleeves. I dropped my shoes, socks, and Infinit bottle that I had been slowly drinking all morning long into my Morning Clothes Bag and dropped into the pile as we walked by. I had my goggles and swim cap on and the line started moving much faster. They had pulled the people wearing wetsuits aside and had everyone else start the swim ahead of them. Before I knew it I was surrounded by people cheering, holding signs, and singing along with the music as I had to jog to stay with the line that was now a mere 50 feet from the floating dock. I started my Garmin watch, took about 15 steps, and then jumped into the water. The race had officially started for me.

The Swim

Apparently I ran too fast for the
photographers to snap a complete picture.

When I hit the water I made sure to have one hand holding my goggles to avoid them flipping up and filling the lenses with water. I had no idea what to expect of the water temperature, but it was just about perfect for me. I rose to the surface and immediately started swimming to avoid getting jumped on by competitors entering the water directly behind me. I settled into a rhythm quickly, and decided that I would hold back on the swim a little bit until I got a few more minutes in so I would make sure not to spike my heart rate (which I'm sure was already a little high due to excitement from the crowd at the swim start). I expected to be bumping into more people as I journeyed down the river, but truthfully I only got grabbed by 2-3 people and only made contact with about 10-12 others. With over 2,000 people swimming in the river at the same time I'd consider that pretty amazing. I started to feel the current about 200 yards in and decided to use it to my advantage and picked up my pace just a little. Before I knew it I came up to site and saw the island that we were passing at around the halfway point on the swim. It felt like I had only been swimming for about 15 minutes, but I knew that it was probably more like 30. I decided from the start not to look at my watch during the swim as it wouldn't really help me, and the time it would take to stop swimming, look, and start again wasn't worth it. I stayed consistent and before I knew it I was approaching the end of the swim. It got a bit crowded at the floating stairs as there were 3 sets that athletes could exit onto and about 20-25 athletes at any given time trying to reach them. I stuck my head underwater to find the step, reached up and grabbed the railing with my left hand and a volunteer's hand with my right and launched myself right out of the water. I hit my Garmin as soon as I reached the top of the stairs, seeing my swim time was 54:10! Garmin swim track: http://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/601844878

T1

The run from the swim exit into T1 wasn't as long as most of my other triathlons which was nice. It did however take you up a very steep carpeted "bridge" that was set up on a hill leading up from the river front docks to the street where transition was located. I didn't sprint, but I also was feeling great and energized by the spectators that lined the path leading into transition so I did run towards transition and quasi-ran up the hill to reach the rows of Bike Gear Bags. I shouted out my bag number and the volunteers kept motioning me to keep going down the correct row until I got near my bag. I volunteer made eye-contact with me and as I shouted, "1-5-9-7" they smiled and handed me my bag then pointed to the Men's Changing Tent. I entered the tent and remembered the advice I had received from others and ran all the way to the end of the tent where there were lots of empty seats. I quickly wiped off my feet, put on my sunglasses, helmet, socks and bike shoes, rubbed some chamois butter in the right places, then put everything back into the bag and trotted out of the tent towards my bike. I had an easy path to trace to my bike as it was on the first row in the first section. I grabbed my bike off the rack and jogged with it to the mount line which was very crowded with about 60 other athletes trying to mount in the same place. I ran past the crowd and moved over to the right, glanced over my should to make sure I was clear and then pushed off to start the 116mi bike ride that I would traverse before arriving back at transition. I felt like I took my time in T1, but didn't take too much time. T1 time: 7:54.

The Bike

My plan for the bike was always to hold back and let a ton of people pass me. I knew this was my weakest of the three disciplines and I would be smart and save my legs so that my run was enjoyable and not a sufferfest from start to finish. I kept a close eye on my heart rate from the start and saw that it was nearing the top of Zone 3 so I immediately geared down and let my legs spin a little more. My heart rate recovered quickly, and soon I settled into a rhythm. The journey out of downtown Chattanooga wasn't very eventful with the exception of seeing on guy clip a traffic cone while trying to pass someone and he went down. It wasn't bad and he hopped back on began pedaling quickly, but it was a good reminder to watch out for what others were doing on the course. The volunteers had laid out carpets across the railroad tracks we rode over getting out of town, and it was a good thing because we crossed 5 or 6 just to get to the highway that would take us to the start of the loop. The first 2 tracks were hard enough to cross without the 30-40 bottles that littered the streets from people who didn't heed the volunteers' shouts to slow down when crossing. Thankfully I had ridden this course before so I knew to take my time crossing the tracks and kept all of my bottles. I reached Hwy 193 and felt the wind at my back. I was inspired by the amount of people that were cheering along every single stretch of the bike course. It seemed like there were cars parked with music playing a small crowds of people at every intersection all the way through the entire course. The only stretch without spectators was after the sharp turn onto Hog Jowl Rd. which was fine because that was a fast section anyway and I was focused on keeping momentum through the rolling hills rather than looking for fun signs to read or looking at spectators in costumes. I passed by the first couple of aid stations and didn't grab anything. There was part of the road blocked off after topping one of the hills and we were forced over into the left hand lane while oncoming traffic was stopped. I figured there was a tree or brush that had fallen into the road and they diverted us as a cautionary measure. Only later would I

Oil patch/attempted sabotage

learn that some idiot had poured buckets of motor oil onto the road as a deliberate sabotage attempt. It was cleaned up and the roads were open as normal on my second loop. After making the first climb and then turning onto Hog Jowl Rd. I noticed that there were lots of cyclists on the side of the road over the next 5 miles. all of them were changing tubes or waiting for the support vans to arrive with mechanical assistance. I didn't focus on them too much and didn't put thought into why it happened, but once again after the race I learned that someone had spread a bunch of tacks out on the bike course that caused lots of mechanical issues for many racers. I'll never understand what would lead someone to think this was either a) a funny prank or b) an acceptable way to protest a race course going through their area. Luckily I was spared from any mechanical issues during the entire race.

I rolled into downtown Chickamauga and had a huge smile on my face as I spotted my family (wife, sister, mom, dad, aunt and uncle) at the front of the crowd cheering me on. My sister had made a great banner that she and my aunt here holding. (see picture). After getting a huge shot of energy from the crowd of around 500 spectators the ride to the start of the second loop flew by. My plan was to carry enough Infinit to sustain me for 5 hours of riding, and I would only stop twice: once to pee and once at the bike special needs station to refill my bottles with nutrition. My plan worked great and I picked my pee stop based on the length of the waiting line (which was at least 6 deep at every station). I ended up stopping at mile 58 just before the start of the second lap.

The bike course views were simply stunning

The second loop was very different from the first for me. The adrenaline had worn off, the winds had picked up, and it lightly rained for a short time. It wasn't that I was tired or that my nutrition was lacking. It was just a little mind-numbing from miles 70-90. Passing through downtown Chickamauga the second time, there was less fanfare. Or fans at all. It seems most every had jumped on the shuttles to head back to transition to catch their athletes on the run. My little cheering section was still there and after flashing a big smile and thumbs up, I pulled into the Bike Special Needs station. I grabbed a couple of bottles and refilled my aero bottle while the nice volunteer held the bag open for me to sort through. It was a quick stop and then I was back to pedaling. There was much more space between athletes on the course by this time so on the final big descent after the last major climb out of Chickamauga I was able to fly. I hit a pretty nice top speed of 41.5 mph and that rush got me ready to tackle the final section of the course on Hwy 193 and back into town for transition. My biggest fear at the beginning of this journey was the bike portion. To know that I was almost through it and had hit my target pace made me very happy. I smiled and chatted with cyclists I passed and that passed me before reaching the dismount line. I will honestly say I've never been so happy to get off my bike. I had completed the 116 mile ride (4 miles longer than typical Ironman races) in 7:05:09. Garmin bike track: http://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/601844881

T2

I ran my bike towards the crowd of volunteers and one of them simply said, "I've got it, go finish strong with your run". I gladly handed my bike over (we're on an indefinite break from spending time with each other) and made my way down the rows of Run Gear Bags until a volunteer heard me yell out my number and then handed my bag to me, again pointing to the Men's Changing Tent. The tent was much less crowded this time and I grabbed a seat right away. I dumped the contents of my bag onto the ground and put my helmet, bike shoes, etc into the bag. I threw on fresh socks, my running shoes, visor, and grabbed my running flask and race belt before walking to the exit and handing my gear bag off. I decided to stop at the porta-potties and get my second bathroom break out of the way before starting the run. This proved to be a good idea as it kept me moving the entire run and not standing still letting my legs get tight during the marathon. I was in and out in a flash and made it though T2 much faster than I thought considering my time included a bathroom stop. T2 time: 6:53.

The Run

Exiting transition felt great and the crowds were packed and screaming so loud it was hard not to tear out on the run at top speed. But I knew that I wanted to hold back until mile 18 of the run so I kept a close eye on my pace for the first mile specifically. I held between a 10:45 to 11:30 pace until my heart rate settled down to it's proper place. I approached the first aid station and saw some familiar face. A couple of buddies of mine were volunteering and they definitely got my psyched up for this run. After making my way onto the Riverwalk around mile 1.5 the crowds faded and it was just me and the other runners. I had run this section of the course several times before as it was the same run course as the Chattanooga Waterfront Tri run course. I kept an eye on my pace and heart rate and slowly progressed along the river. At each aid station I took 2 sips from my super concentrated Infinit mix in my run flask (which I kept in my back pocket of my tri top) and drank about half a cup of water to help dilute the mixture in my mouth before swallowing. I followed this process for the entire first lap and as planned I ran out of Infinite as I began the second lap. The run was fairly boring for the first 7 miles, but I wasn't focused on people cheering or even other athletes. I was in a zone and focused only on how good my legs actually felt at this pace. Around mile 4 it began to sprinkle steadily and by the time I made the turn onto Amnicola Hwy. it had progressed to full out rain. This stretch was boring since the only scenery was industrial buildings and the passing cars. I kept pacing myself, passing aid station after aid station. It was uneventful, but the monotony was occasionally broken up by passing cars filled with cheerers honking horns, shaking cowbells, and yelling encouragement.

I reached mile 7 I could see the course getting ready to turn onto the bridge and then the hills would begin. I made my way onto Veterans Memorial Bridge and just before crossing it I ran into one of my run training buddies. He was about finish up his second lap and I was so proud to get to run "near" him for a few minutes as he was trying to slow down for his brother to catch up to him so they could finish together. I reached the base of Barton Ave. and looked up to see the hill that was directly in front of me. I decided that my plan had worked so far and I would just slow down a little bit to keep running up the hill. I kept telling myself, "Your legs feel great. Your plan is working. You are running this hill that you had envisioned walking before today." All of this self-talk made a huge difference in my momentum during the hilly section. Before I knew it I was up and over the hill passing mile marker 10 with ease. I worked my way through the remaining hills on this lollipop section of the course and climbed my way out of the back side of Barton Ave. This time I enjoyed a very long downhill that lasted until the Walnut Street Pedestrian Bridge. I kept moving, putting one foot in front of the other and saw the end of the bridge. In my mind that signaled the end of my first lap. I was a mere 13 miles from the finish line. I didn't know whether this would make me excited or deflated being so close to the turn towards the finish line but turning the other way for lap 2. It was exhilarating, energizing, and motivating. Why? Because I still felt great! My legs weren't as tired as I expected and my nutrition was maintaining me perfectly. I saw my family standing near the corner. They were just as surprised to see me this early as I was to be there. I handed my sunglasses off to my mom, and then slowed down to give my beautiful bride a kiss. I told her, "I'll see you at the finish line soon" and I was off to the Run Special Needs area. I ditched my run flask and grabbed a new one out of my bag. After that I was back on track and more determined than ever to make this last lap strong.

While there weren't spectators, the riverwalk
paths made for a scenic run as well.

The second lap was surprisingly much like the first. Keeping an eye on my pace. Remaining steady. Taking in nutrition at each aid station. I began counting down the miles as each marker passed. Mile 16 meant there were only 10 miles left. Mile 17, I was into single digit miles to go. I was approaching mile 18 (aka "the line") knowing that it was this mile marker that my entire day was set-up to reach and still be in a good place. It passed and my plan execution was still going strong. I reached mile 20 and got a big smile on my face. I felt better here than I did at the same mile marker on my solo marathon. The other reason for my elation, I only had a 10K left to run. I crossed the bridge the final time and stared down the monstrous hill in front of me. It was mine. I was going to dominate this hill for a second time. That's what I told myself, and that's exactly what happened. I cruised down the backside of the hill, but there was something waiting for me at the base of the next hill. It goes by many names. The Wall. The Dark Place. The Suck. It doesn't matter what you call it. It only matters that it rears it's ugly head, stares you right in the face, and says "you won't succeed". I was prepared for this to arrive at mile 18 so when I realized it was just before mile 23 I used that to get beyond my dark place. I walked up the hill on Riverview Rd., but once I reached the top, I said out-loud, "Start running now!" My mind was set on the task and so my body obeyed. I ran until the next aid station, walked up about half of the backside of the last big hill, then enjoyed the downhill on the other side. I approached the final aid station and was greeted with a hug by a lady that I met through work a few weeks ago who happened to be volunteering at the race. She called me by name, and cheered me all the way through the aid station. It was just the boost I needed as my Garmin buzzed, alerting me that I had completed mile 25. 1.25 miles was all that remained between me and hearing Mike Riley say, "You are an Ironman!" I quickened my pace a bit and reached the Walnut Street Bridge. I could hear the roar of the crowd at the finish line and that was all I needed. I sped across the bridge and when I made the final turn onto Riverfront Parkway the crowds was gathered and going crazy. Some people were walking some were sprinting. I found a balance between them to make sure that when I crossed the finish line, I would be in the chute alone. I approached the lights and carpeted runway and tears almost welled up in my eyes. I had arrived. I had done it. And it felt incredible. I gave tons of high fives to kids, parents, and other athletes lining the finish chute. It was electric. It was humbling. It was an indescribable feeling. I was a few steps from the finish line and I heard those words. "Phillip Taylor from Acworth, Georgia YOU ARE AN IRONMAN!!!" I crossed the finish line, stopped my watch and hugged my volunteer "catcher" with joy. He placed my medal around my neck, walked me through the photo area, got me a water and chocolate milk, and turned me over to my beaming wife.
I had completed the marathon portion in 4:52:08 (that's just 29 minutes longer than my stand alone marathon time!) Garmin run track: http://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/601844896

My total time for my first (and not my only) Ironman was 13:06:14. That's almost an hour faster than I thought possible. This day will be burned into my memory for the rest of my life. It was a day of tests and triumphs. A day where I found out what lives in my dark place, and how strong I had become through training to push past that and finish strong. I will be smiling from ear to ear over the next several days and weeks just thinking about everything that this day held for me. I can now say, with pride, that I am an Ironman.

Here's some quick stats looking back over this year's training and preparation for this epic race.

Training by the numbers:

• Swim: 83 miles
• Bike: 2,423 miles
• Run: 552 miles
• Calories: 197,186
• Time in Training: 290:18:04

The Search For A Calm, Quiet Place

Taper is almost done.

Race week is here.

Deposits in the training bank have been made over the past 6 months, and it's almost time to make a big withdrawal.

Yes, my friends it is almost time to jump in the water and begin my first journey in the world of Ironman racing. I've done my best to shut off my mind, and seem to have accomplished it over this past weekend. Last night, however, that wasn't the case. I found myself laying wide awake at 4am wondering about the weather, transitions, other riders on the bike course, and the tail end of the marathon. I did manage to subdue these thoughts long enough to fall back asleep as today was rest day and I was able to sleep "late" till 6:15am.

I think that will be my main struggle this week. Not the reduced workouts. Not the extra time. Above all, I am realizing that my battle this week will be with trying to calm my mind. To find a quiet place, relax, and be confident that I've prepared enough will seem impossible at times this week. Despite that I must keep telling myself, "You've put in the work. You're ready for this. Relax."

In that spirit I've decided to post a few motivational pictures/phrases that I've used over the past months to help me stay focused on the main goal and realize that I will cross that finish and I will be able to push my body further than I ever thought possible. For all of you preparing to take the field of battle with me on Sunday, I leave you with the same advice. I've seen you all out there training hard, day after day. You've got this. We've got this. It's almost time. Relax.

The Build Is Over. Taper Time Is Here!

A Few Random Thoughts From My Scrambled Brain...

I had to look at my training schedule more than once over the past week. No, it wasn't because I the number of hours for my bike ride was so high. It wasn't because I saw my schedule and knew that I would be a stranger to my wife and puppy for yet another weekend. It was because the "long" weekend training sessions weren't that long anymore. Then I looked ahead to the following weekend's schedule. Same result. That could only mean one thing: Taper time had officially arrived.

I've heard some people talk about going through "taper-tantrums" and feeling increased anxiety during the slow reduction in training volume that leads up to a long distance race. Thankfully, I have experienced none of this. I have instead viewed this time as an opportunity to recover, rest, reconnect, and mentally prepare for the monumental task that lies only 13 days from now. 13 days. That number seems so low when I think about the first time I counted how far away this race was.

During my down time I have found myself reflecting on the journey up to this point. Rarely do questions like --

"Did I train enough?".... "Have I forgotten something I need for race day?".... (and my favorite) "What can go wrong on race day?"

-- pop into my head, but once they do I simply reach into my memory over the past 6 months and recall instances where I know those questions have already been answered. If I don't find an answer I just throw it into the category of "beyond my control" and move on.

Day after day passes. Race day gets closer. And much to my surprise, the more excited I get. This is what it's all about. The hard work, the blood, sweat, and tears, the absence from family, and the dollars invested. It's all leading up to race day and I couldn't be more ready to jump in that water, start swimming, and finish this journey that at first glance seemed impossible.

I've made so many friends along the way, seen many of them go through hardships, and some of them not be able to make the starting line due to injuries. We have all been united in our struggles and triumphs throughout training, and it will be no different on race day. Everyone has earned the right to race. To dream. To try. I consider it a privilege to have taken this journey with you all, and I can't wait to high-five, hug, and bask in the feeling of accomplishment with you at the finish line.

See you all soon.

Training Week In Review: Week 24 (Just Rolling With It)

This week was solid with some great hill workouts on my mid-week run, and some quality time in the pool. I won't bore you with the little details of each workout, but leading into the weekend I was feeling very good and ready to tackle 2 laps of the Ironman Chattanooga bike course.

Long Bike = New Milestone + Questions Answered

All our bikes lined up at a water stop.

This weekend would bring my biggest test on the bike to date. On the schedule: 105mi on the Ironman Chattanooga Course. This would be not only my longest ride, but my first century ride. Ever. Needless to say I was excited and a little curious about how my legs would hold up.


We rolled out of the Bi-Lo parking lot around 8:15 and it was a pleasant 72°. There were about 10 in our group this time and we had decided to stick together until we turned off Hwy 193 as it is a busy highway and we wanted safety in numbers. The new stretch of 193 that we rode today (due to a course change earlier in the week) was much nicer than Old Chattanooga Rd. The road was much smoother and was either flat or a slight rise that didn't impact speed or effort in the least. We set out at a more aggressive pace than usual, but I felt good and knew I could push through if I really started feeling tired later in the day. The first 25 miles passed quickly and we pulled in to a gas station for our first stop on the course. I had planned to bring enough nutrition to only refill at a couple of the stops as I'm planning on stopping twice on race day to replenish water and Infinit. We were back on course after a few minutes and making good time. We were cruising along and made the first big climb before Hog Jowl Rd. with ease. We rolled through the next 25 miles until we rolled over a hill and instantly slowed at what we saw ahead.

There was an ambulance on the right side of the road and several cyclists standing next a fence over a cyclist laying on in the grass. We decided to stop and make sure everyone was going to be ok. The cyclist that had wrecked was being loaded onto a back board and their head was being taped down to immobilize them. It looked pretty bad, but there was only 1 involved in the wreck. After a couple of minutes we decided to keep going, but there was a definite effect to witnessing the aftermath of that wreck on all of us. The next few miles were ridden in total silence. We all focused on the road ahead and I'm sure were all thinking at some point, "that could have been me". It's a humbling reminder that while we love what we do, it has it's dangers and that every day we can ride is a blessing.

We rolled into the edge of Chickamauga and made our second stop at the gas station most cyclists have been visiting during training rides. I refilled one of my bottles and mixed in a pouch of Infinit before we headed back out. This stretch through Chickamauga was a little intense as it's apparent the motorists in this area are over having cyclists share their roads during training. We were honked at, cursed at, flipped off, etc. as we made our way through town on this 5 mile section of the course. We all stayed single-file, and were in a group of 3 and then 7 with a break in the middle. We didn't respond to the drivers and just focused on pedaling to get through this stretch.

My riding buddies Reiko and Ashley.

We got to the split for turning to start the second lap or heading home and today, unlike my other rides, we turned to start the second lap. My legs were in a good place as I never felt like I had overexerted them on any of the climbs in the first lap. The second lap passed much like the first, but the wind had picked up by the time we reached mile 70. It was getting a little warm now, but I kept hydrating as my plan directed and that kept me well fueled. Before I knew it, we were stopping at the gas station in Chickamauga again and I refilled my bottles once again. I was ready to head back to the parking lot, but not because I was tired. 93 miles is a long time on a bike and seeing the same scenery for a second time in the same day was beginning to get a little boring. We reached the split and opted to take a side road back towards the parking lot to avoid the now very busy Hwy 193. The final few miles on Tennessee Ave are always deceiving as I never remember that the entire stretch is uphill for almost 2 miles. We rolled into the parking lot having totaled 106mi at a 17.5 mph moving average (my fastest to date on this course) and my legs felt good and ready to run, but that wasn't on the schedule for the day. I grabbed a chocolate milk and hit the road back home. Garmin track for bike course: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/578865891

Remembering Just To Roll With It

Tow truck showed up just after massive storm.

This next section has nothing to do with training, but I felt it was important to share as it is a chance to remember to keep things in perspective during this journey. I was about halfway home and cruising down I-75 when my car just stopped accelerating. I quickly made my way over to the side of the road and by the time I was safely on the shoulder my car was completely dead. After a few phone calls, a visit from my Uncle to try and jump me off, and a final visit from my dad (who was on his way back home from a cruise) I had my car towed home where my mom and wife were waiting for my dad and I. We arrived at 8pm (after leaving Chattanooga at 3:45) and was just happy to be home where I could shower, change out of my tri-suit, and get some food. We'd look at the car later as we were all just ready to call it a day. (End result of car diagnostic the next day: Not the battery, alternator, starter, or alarm system - basically it had to go to a shop for further analysis) After this whole weekend I tried my best to put things in perspective. I wasn't sick. I wasn't hurt. I completed my biggest workout with great results. I am blessed.

Know When To Push and When to Back Off

My long run on Sunday morning was a struggle to convince myself to get out of bed and get it done. I hadn't eaten dinner until 9:40pm the night before (and it was Wendy's so very high on the health scale too... NOT) and was running on less sleep than normal with worries about my car running through my head, but I got up and got to it. I cut my run a few miles short, but I knew that it wasn't because my legs were too tired, it's because I was too tired. I still got in 10 miles with some hills, and was ready to spend some time with my parents before they headed home later in the day. On the schedule: a much needed breakfast at Cracker Barrel. After eating I felt so much better and knew that I would be able to rest up later in the day.

Weekly totals: Swim - 5000m • Bike - 142mi • Run - 16.57mi

Training Week In Review : Week 23 (Heat, Humidity, and Hills)

This week was the toughest weekend training so far both in distance on the bike and temperatures on the entire weekend. I also am now feeling the compound effects of the past months of training, and the longer miles logged over the past couple of weeks. I'm staying positive and remaining focused on the goal: 35 days from now.

Lots of miles, Even More Heat

The long bike workout this week was a new distance milestone for me. Our plan was to ride the 31mi. loop three times and then add on 2 more miles at the end to hit the distance goal (which matched up perfectly with my time goal for the day) I was also excited to test out my new tires as I have finally worn out a set. We started out at 7am as the weather for the day was going to get hot really fast. The first loop started at 76° and felt pretty comfortable for late August. I wanted to focus on keeping the pace and effort level the same for each lap so my riding buddy for the day, Reiko, kept track of each lap while I recorded the total ride stats.

New tire for my

We were joined at the start by a couple of other riders, one of which is a multiple Ironman finisher who constantly shared his wisdom and tips during the first 17 miles. I was more than happy to listen and knew that his experience could help me along on my journey as well. I'm always grateful for those that share their knowledge and it speaks volumes about the type of people that have a passion for this sport. While we all at one point or another are competing against each other, that doesn't mean that we don't support each other along our journey and help out where we can. The remainder of the first loop passed quickly and we stopped back at the parking lot to refill our bottles.

We began the second lap with the temperatures rising to 85°. This lap felt really good. I got into a rhythm quick and this lap felt almost effortless (with the exception of a couple of hills). We stopped again at the cars and refilled bottles one last time before heading out on the third and final lap. By now the sun was beating down and it was 92°. The other condition that changed for the worse was the wind. We felt no wind on the first two laps, but it was a pretty strong headwind this time out. I noticed that I was drinking a bit more than I had on the past two loops and continued to do so to combat the heat. After a couple of quick back and forth trips on the main road,  my Garmin read 95mi and we were done for the day. I took stock of my hydration and realized I had gone through six 24oz. bottles of Infinit Nutrtition. I was glad I was conscious enough to drink more than normal because it was 97° by the time we finished. My legs actually felt pretty good. I have no doubts now that I will complete the bike portion of the race and still have some juice in my legs to take on the run. (as long as I pace myself) Garmin bike track: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/572018514

More Heat, Humidity, and Lots of Hills

I changed up my Sunday training run with a half marathon in downtown Atlanta. The Hotlanta Half Marathon, in its inaugural year, lived up to its name. The race started at 7:30am and it was already 81° at the sound of the starting gun. I wasn't 100% sure of my strategy for pacing, but I knew I was going to walk for 30-45 seconds every other aid station (roughly every 2 miles). I met up before the race with a fellow North GA Tri Club member and we chatted for a bit about our training and expectations for the day. It's really cool meeting complete strangers and knowing that you have a common interest that allows you to become friends almost immediately. I started out with my run training partner at a solid 9:00/mi pace but soon found myself running a little faster by the time I passed the mile 1 marker. I felt very good considering I had ridden 95mi the day before. The first 4 miles passed pretty quickly and only contained 1 hill that made us slow down a little. By this time I was already drenched with sweat from the high humidity. We entered the beltway stretch of the run course and this section was great. It was flat and shaded so I know we definitely stepped up the pace again for the next 2 miles.

We could feel the temperatures rising as we returned to the street and headed into Piedmont Park. We made good time through the park until we approached the hill the climbed up out of the park and back onto the main roads. This hill was no joke. It was just before mile 8 and was fairly steep. We made it to the top of the hill and took our scheduled walk break at the aid station before leaving the park behind and continuing along the route towards the finish line.

The next 4 miles was almost all uphill with every climb seeming to last longer than the previous one. I left my running partner around mile 8.5 and continued to push up the hills. I was wondering when my legs would start to feel these repeated climbs and that question was answered just after mile 10. I reacted differently this time than I have in past races. I shifted my focus to the buildings and runners around me and something interesting happened. I stopped feeling the fatigue in my legs and started realizing that I was a mere 5K from the finish line. This change in my focus allowed me to keep the pace steady and I rolled through the aid station at mile 11 grabbing a couple of quick sips of water before pressing on. I reached the mile 12 aid station (which was really more like 12.45 mi), downed a cup of Nuun hydration drink, and picked up the pace. There was a spectator at the top of a slight rise that cheered us on and told us that there was a long downhill stretch followed by a left turn towards the finish line. I knew I was close so I bolted downhill and made the left turn towards the finish line. I was a bit discouraged at what I saw when I made the turn as I did see the finish line about .25 miles ahead.
The discouraging part was that it was at the top of a fairly steep hill. I decided that didn't matter, told my legs to shut up, and pushed harder. I passed a couple of people climbing the hill and crossed the finish line with a time of 1:52:09. That was about 7-8 minutes ahead of the time I thought I would finish so I was nothing but pleased with the results.

We enjoyed a post-race breakfast at the OK Cafe where I ate a ridiculous amount of buttermilk pancakes topped with apples and pecans, and then went home to rest/recover for the rest of the day. Garmin run track: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/572828861

I have one more big week of training and then it's into tapering for the race. I've really enjoyed the journey so far, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't ready for race day to get here. Only 5 weeks to go!

Weekly Totals: Swim - 5000m • Bike - 135.65mi • Run - 24.15mi

Training Week In Review: Week 22 (Feeling Flat & Holy Elevation Gain, Batman!)

Just Keep Swimming, Just Keep Swimming

I had the opportunity for another open water swim at Red Top Mountain this week and wanted to go for a full hour and see where my speed/endurance were and how close I could get to the 2.4 miles I will be required to swim in September. The result: 2.4mi in 1:00:44! I was blown away at how good I felt after the swim and when I combine this with a river current and potentially a wetsuit I should be very happy with my swim time. Garmin swim track: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/563722843

The Long Bike - A Little Flat, A Lot Of Confidence

I will admit that I feel very fortunate to live close enough to my Ironman race site so I can practice on the actual race course. I can't imagine not being able to train on the course for a race of this distance, and I know these training sessions on course will pay off on race day. I made the short drive up on Saturday to meet up with a group that was riding one loop of the course from transition. Most of them had done the Chattanooga Open Water Swimmers Club 2.4mi swim before hand, but I passed on this as I can't spend $60 just to practice swim. I was also pumped to wear my new North GA Tri Club kit and see how comfortable it was on distance events. It was amazingly comfortable! The shorts felt so good (almost as good as my regular bib shorts) and I had no rubs or chaffing so this is definitely the kit I'll wear on race day. We headed out at 10:15am and this was my first chance to ride the course all the way from transition. The stretch from Ross' Landing to the part of the course I've ridden before doesn't have much to report on. It's not hilly. It has more railroad tracks. It has potholes. That's about it. We were moving at a decent pace in our group of 12 and quickly split into 2 groups when we turned onto Hwy 193. The group I was in was doing one loop and the other group that was taking a slower pace was doing the full 2 loop course. I got stuck behind a couple of slower riders, but had started to make my way back to the main pack I was riding with that included my friends Reiko and Michael.

I was about a tenth of a mile back when I started having to pedal much harder and a very slight incline. I looked down and confirmed my suspicions. At mile 16 my front tire was flat. I pulled over at the next side street and began to change it. I always carry stuff to fix a flat, but I am not very fast at the process as I've only had to change one tube this year (back in March). I was very fortunate as there were so many triathletes out training with on course support from several clubs that an SUV pulled over and the driver, John from Multisport Ministries, offered to let me use his pump so I didn't have to use my CO2 cartridges to inflate the new tube. After a slow, lengthy process of changing my tire I was back on the road determined to make up some time and with some luck catch up to my riding buddies at one of the SAG stops. It was hard getting back into a rhythm after begin stopped for 5-7 minutes, but after a few miles I was back to pushing at normal pace. I passed a few groups and before I knew it I was at the first climb before Hog Jowl Road. I noticed a big difference after making this turn since I was down in aero position for these rolling hills this time. I was able to gain enough speed on the downhills that I didn't have to do hardly any shifting to make it up the hills on the other side. This made this section of the course much more enjoyable. My speed through this section increased but my effort felt the same as my other rides so I know that I'm in much better riding shape compared to my last ride on the course in July.

I approached the SAG stop just past the intersection of Hog Jowl Rd and Hwy 136 and was happy to hear cheers from my group as they had stopped to wait for me to catch up. Luckily they hadn't been waiting too long and were kind enough to let me refill my bottles and grab a quick snack before we hopped back on our bikes for the final 28mi of our ride. We all stuck together pretty well through the end of the ride, but we all noticed the increased wind and heat towards the end of the ride. We got back to our cars and then prepped to go out and run part of the course to complete our training brick for the day. My legs felt great and I no longer have any doubts about the bike portion of the race. We averaged 17.1 mph and I know if I take it a little easier on race day my legs should be in a great place to perform steadily on the run. Garmin bike track: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/567008261

The North Side Run Loop - I Thought I Had Run Hills Before...

We started from transition area and made our way to Veterans Memorial Bridge. We had decided to run the north side loop first and then, depending how we felt, run a little on the river walk. I'm glad we took this route as I haven't run any of the north side before and had heard stories about the hills. I tend to not to rely too much on others' impressions/definitions of hills because it is so subjective person by person. We crossed the bridge and curved to the right slightly to face Barton Ave for the first time. I'm not going to lie, it was intimidating just looking at it. You could see the top of the hill, but the incline you had to climb for the .5 mi to get there looked daunting. We took our pace easy and made our way up the first climb. Once we reached the top I was surprised at how good I felt especially considering that it was now 92° and there was limited shade on the route. That feeling didn't last. We continued down Barton, forked off onto Hixson Pike which was mostly flat (or at least not nearly as much of an uphill) and turned left onto Riverview Rd. Here we found some shade... and more hills. There is a short, steep climb up the backside of this loop that brings you parallel to the country club and golf course. This stretch is beautiful. It overlooks the river on the left and is very flat or downhill for about .8 mile. We then turned left back onto Barton for what I think is the worst climb on the course. It climbs up very steep, levels out, and then climbs up steeply again over a total of .5 mi. The only relief when you reach the top of this hill is that you now can enjoy almost 3/4 mi of downhill before you reach the Walnut Street Bridge. This is a long climb, but it's not very steep and should be packed with people cheering on race day to get you through your first lap and motivate you to push on your 2nd lap all the way through to the finish line. I now know that I need to run hills. More hills. Steeper hills. I used to worry about the bike portion, but that is in the rearview mirror now. My worry has shifted onto the run course and the roughly 9mi total section of hills that we will encounter on race day. I know I will be ready come race day, and am very glad that I got the chance to run this section ahead of time.
Garmin run track: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/567008290


Weekly totals: Swim - 7500m • Bike - 91.8mi • Run - 17.8mi

Race Report: Tri the Parks - Richard B Russell

This was my final tune-up race before tackling my biggest challenge to date: Ironman Chattanooga. I had no real expectations as far as time goals. My purpose for this race was to cross the finish line feeling like I had lots of gas left in the tank, stay in my heart rate zones, and with any luck earn a PR.

Those goals seemed almost impossible considering the obstacles we had to overcome just to get to the race. Here's how it all went down...

Day Before the Race

My day started with my normal pre-race breakfast of pancakes, eggs, turkey bacon and coffee at Ihop with my biggest supporter, my wife. It was nice to sleep in and rest my legs for a change and even though this was Olympic Distance race I knew I would feel better in the race if I felt rested before the start. I spent the remainder of the morning cleaning the car, cleaning my bike, and checking and re-checking my transition bag to make sure I had everything I needed for race day. I took a short nap and ate my bagels, drank my orange pineapple juice, and enjoyed some much needed relaxation until it was time to leave. About 30 minutes before I was headed out to pick up my buddy to go to the race, my phone lit up with a severe storm message: There was a tornado warning in our area. I looked outside in time to see the sky was black and then the rain came pouring down like it hadn't rained in years. I naturally assumed this was my fault for having thoroughly cleaned my bike, but I can't control the weather so I headed out to pick up my friend. It continued to pour the entire way over to his place and after quick tour of his new digs we loaded his bike onto my car and were ready to hit the road. Enter obstacle #1. My car wouldn't start. At all.

No problem you say? Just take a different car. Enter obstacle #2. My buddy drives a BMW convertible that can only hold 1 bike with the top down. It's still dumping an entire lake's worth of rain on us so that's not a viable option. Long story short (too late) we ended up borrowing an SUV with a roof rack. Now it's time for obstacle #3. Since we had to work out a new car situation we were now leaving at 4:30pm. Just in time for rush hour traffic on a Friday afternoon. It was worse than we could have imagined. We got stuck behind a few wrecks through spaghetti junction and didn't move much at all until we got onto I-85 N. We made it Perimeter Mall at 7:00pm (normally 45 minute drive took 2.5 hours) and decided to stop and grab some dinner at Olive Garden. I had a delicious Baked Parmesan Shrimp dish with Ziti Pasta, a couple of bread sticks, and some salad. We ate pretty quick as we still had a couple of hours to drive to reach our hotel. We arrived in Elberton at 9:45pm and I was just glad to be out of the car and looking forward to getting some sleep. That was the plan until 3am when someone's car alarm went off right outside our window and didn't stop for 3-4 minutes. That was plenty of time for me to completely wake up. I went back to sleep, finally, around 4:30 and got in a solid 30 minutes (sarcasm) of sleep before my alarm sounded at 5am.

Race Day

My racing buddies David (left) and Dickie (right).

After reflecting on everything that happened on the day before the race I was determined to take a positive approach. I decided that since everything went wrong the day before the race, everything on race day would be flawless. It turns out that this time my game plan would work out. We got the race site at 6:25 and quickly breezed through check-in. I got my transition area setup and ran through transitions in my head before walking down to the lake for a quick warm up swim to get focused for the task ahead. The weather was perfect. Overcast, but not raining with a water temperature of 84°.

The Swim

I had planned to keep a slower, but still steady pace throughout the swim. The horn sounded and we were off. This was a 2 loop swim and the first loop passed much faster than I expected. Before I knew it I had made the turn around the final buoy and was headed back to shore. I felt good enough to speed up a little bit as I neared the shore and that ended up earning me a new best time on the swim at this race. I popped up out of the water, trotted up the hill and across the parking lot into T1. Swim time: 29:42.

The Bike

T1 went smooth and fast with a time of 1:17 and I was off on the bike. I was surprised at how much of the bike course I remembered. I knew the first 10 miles were pretty fast with exception of one large hill just off the main road out of the park, so I decided that I was going to put my new found skill of mastering the aero bars to good use. I would say I spent 90% of the ride on my bars and felt like I was cruising along at a pretty decent pace with not a huge effort to maintain it. I decided I wasn't going to look at anything but heart rate on the bike or run since that was my focus for the day. This proved to be nice on the bike especially since It removed all pressure to aim for a target pace and allowed me to just enjoy the ride. I noticed that there were mile markers every 2 miles on the bike course and committed to taking in some Infinit drink at each mile marker. This would mean I would drink more often than normal, but since I haven't been drinking enough on my longer rides I knew this would be good practice. It proved to be great as I felt more fueled and energized throughout the bike. I coasted the last short stretch downhill to the dismount line and felt better than I ever have off the bike on an Olympic distance race going into T2. Bike time: 1:15:36 (18.0 mph average)

The Run

T2 was lightning fast for me at just :53 seconds and I was off on the run. I was more determined to perform well during this leg of the race as this is one area that I have struggled with the past 2 times I've raced here. I knew instantly that I was going to be strong throughout the run this time as I felt great and my legs weren't tired in the least. I took it slow on the first .46 miles as this section was on a trail and all uphill. I reached the top of the climb and hit the pavement feeling good. I grabbed a water at the first aid station and took a few sips as I kept running. I dumped the rest over my head to make sure to stay cool. I reached the turnaround on the first lap and was maintaining a great pace. Better yet, my heart rate was in Zone 2 right where it should be. I passed my other friend, David, as he was headed to the turnaround and knew that he was about 4 minutes behind me. This is where my competitive streak made it's first appearance. I knew that his swim wave started 3 minutes behind mine and I've never finished with a better time than him. I was determined to finish ahead of him and make up for missing that goal by :45 seconds the year before. So I  picked up the pace a little bit for the next mile until I finished the first lap. I grabbed another water at the start of lap 2 and walked for about 25-30 seconds. My only walk during the entire run. I turned onto the trail to start my second time climbing the half mile and knew that if I was going to have a good second lap I'd have to pace myself through this climb. I passed a couple of people on the uphill battle and offered words of encouragement as I knew how valuable they can be. I came out of the woods and once again, felt better than expected. I remained steady for the next mile and around mile 4.75 I saw David again. I think I had widened the gap by about :45 seconds, but I wasn't taking any chances. I saw the mile 5 sign ahead and knew that I had tons of gas left in the tank so I took off, increasing my pace with every step. I made the last turn where there were a group of volunteers cheering racers on and gave it one more push through the final .3 miles to the finish line. I knew that I was making good time but was completely surprised to see the time at the finish line read 2:37:09! I had to check my Garmin to see if I saw the time correctly. Once I confirmed that it was, I felt proud to know that I not only felt great even after the race was over, but that I had PR'd at this race by 15 minutes! I also managed to finish ahead of my friend by almost 4 minutes. My run time was only 1:37 off my best 10K time. Run: 49:45 (8:09/mi average)

Overall I had a blast and this race was a huge confidence boost as I head into the final training weeks for Ironman Chattanooga. Congratulations to everyone who raced this past weekend and I hope you all learned something from your experiences like I did from mine.

(Side note: We got back to my buddy's house, and my car started.... go figure)

Into the Introspection: Race Week Is Here Again!

Taper Week? What's That?

As I head into my last tune-up race before Ironman Chattanooga, I have mixed feelings. The past 2 weeks of increased training combined with spending my work days in our warehouse (this is our busiest season of the year and I'm pitching in at the warehouse instead of my normal "desk job") has definitely taken it's toll on my body. Every morning as I prepare to train, my legs are tired before I even begin. On the plus side, I've been sleeping amazingly well each night due to exhaustion.

Normally I would be tapering this week to prepare for my Olympic distance triathlon in Elberton, GA on Saturday, but since this is no where near being classified as my "A" race I'm treating it as just another training day. That being said, I got in a solid 45 minute open water swim at Red Top Mountain on Monday for some last minute sighting practice. Tuesday held a solid speedwork session on the bike indoors. The next 2 days were back to back runs with Thursday including a short indoor bike workout first to complete a brick workout.

Thankfully Friday is a rest day and I will be more than happy to follow those plans. I get the day off work and will start the morning off with my traditional breakfast at Ihop with my beautiful (and through this whole process, extremely patient) wife before loading up the car and heading to the race site with a couple of my buddies.

Goals for Race Day

My goals for the race are very simple. Maintain the same splits as last year when I did this race, but improve the run. I've had a habit in this race of letting my mind tell me I'm tired and need to walk well before I should. The goal is to pace myself better at the start of the run so I can maintain a faster pace and finish stronger. I know I'm in much better shape than I have ever been so I'm excited to see if my mind can be as strong as my body has become.

Good luck to everyone racing this weekend. Stay safe. Stay strong.

Training Week In Review: Week 21 (Fear Takes A Backseat)

This week I'm not going to focus on the run or swim. This week it has all been about the bike. This week was a tougher one at work as I helped out pulling orders for our stores and website customers rather than sitting at my desk. This meant that each day drained me of energy more than  normal and by Friday I was just worn down. I ended up skipping my planned Friday swim and opted for sleeping in and letting my body recover a bit before the long weekend of training. This proved to be a wise choice as I woke up Saturday morning feeling much more relaxed and ready to tackle the challenge ahead.

A quick pit stop at a bike friendly gas station.

Entering Unknown Territory

The weekend bike training sessions are getting longer week after week and with each new session comes a feeling of accomplishment when I end up back in the parking lot having reached a new milestone on my bike. There was more than one reason to feel proud this week, but more on that later. Once again, adding more miles didn't translate to my legs feeling more fatigue which is a comforting sign as I know I'll need to pedal through almost 40 miles more on the bike course in Chattanooga. I was afraid that we would be rained out as the forecast all week had called for 60% chance of thunderstorms. The weathermen got this weekend completely wrong as the weather was cool in the morning, and full of sunshine and blue skies throughout the afternoon. I think that even if it were raining I would still have gone out and rode long as we are now less than 60 days away from race day and missing a long bike or run workout is simply not an option. It felt like an easy ride overall which showed as our pace was a little slower at 16.4 mph, but with a couple of quick stops for bathrooms and water refills the day passed quickly. We did have to dodge a new animal at one point: chickens. Yep, if there's one consistent element of riding from the Bud Plant it's that you will always see lots of animals. Only recently have they decided to become interactive with riders, which is fine with me as long as they don't become too curious as cause wrecks.

Fear Took A Backseat

I know that for most of you triathletes out there, the concept of getting into aero position on your bike was a quick, simple transition that was free of nervousness and fear. That just wasn't me. I've wanted to get down on my clip on aero bars for the past 2 months but every time I'm out riding and start to test the waters by slowly getting into that position, I'm instantly overwhelmed with fear of wrecking as it felt incredibly unstable as I shifted my weight from the handlebars onto just one of the aero bars. I kept trying each week to get into that position and never made it completely down onto the bars. Until now. I had a break through on my ride Saturday as we were around the 40 mile mark of our 75 mile ride. Fear took a backseat as I forced myself to get completely down on the bars on a straight stretch of road. It held a steady incline which made it easier for me to pedal slowly and get used to how it felt to be in this "new" position. The result: it felt great. I felt completely stable, it instantly became easier to pedal and I was able to keep up with my riding buddy much easier. Over the remaining 35 miles of the ride I spent a lot of time in the aero position and felt more confident each time I got into and out of my new riding position. By the end of the ride it felt like I'd been doing this for a long time and was almost second nature. I'm amazed at the difference it makes when riding and can't wait to take this new style onto Chattanooga's course.

Weekly Totals: Swim - 3,000m • Bike - 116.06mi • Run - 19.81mi

Training Week in Review: Week 20

2 Months To Go...

I saw numerous posts this week with countdown clocks to race day for Ironman Chattanooga and this weekend they were just about to the 60 day mark. I must admit that this seems like its too close and I won't be ready in time, but I know that's just my mind going into overdrive, as it often does, when contemplating race day. I'm excited that the day is approaching and I can't wait to have the opportunity to put the past few months of training to work!

This week was a difficult one for me to get in my workouts as it is crunch time at work and I had to go to several events this week which conflicted with my normal early morning workouts. Monday was no problem as it was rest day (my favorite day of the week now), but I had to skip Tuesday's workouts and add them on to the other days of the week. I got in most of them, but I came up a little short on the swim this week. If I'm going to come up short in workouts then the swim is where I feel most comfortable slipping a bit. I managed a short run very early Wednesday morning (5:15am) and got in my full hour on the bike and 45 minute swim on Thursday. Friday was another 45 min. run and Friday night I crashed into bed early to prepare for the long weekend of training.

The Long Bike

Got to stay hydrated!

I had ambitions of making up extra distance/time on Saturday's long bike ride since I had missed the previous weekend. Those ambitions didn't translate into success, but I still put in 4 hours on the bike and pedaled out 61 miles. My plan was to ride the 31 mi. route twice so I could get in some practice with repetitive loops like I will encounter in Chattanooga and the 19 mile route to finish the day. My first loop I tagged along with various groups until it ended up just being me and another cyclist named Megan. She was part of the Team in Training and is working towards her second half ironman in Augusta in late September. There were lots of animals out and about and I had my first ever experience of someone yelling out "cat" as a warning for an upcoming hazard. It was a small cat, but it just walked across the middle of the road unfazed and unimpressed by our presence. We were also yelled at by a donkey and I saw a couple of deer running back into the woods as we approached. Megan and I chatted about past races and how training was progressing this year as we steadily pedaled along. Before I knew it we were back on the main road headed to the end of her ride and the start of my second loop for the day. My pace was a bit slow on the first loop compared to where I have been so I decided to push the pace on my second loop. This was a mistake. I managed to shave off 12 minutes between my first and second loop, but it took its toll. Steady pacing is going to be essential for me to succeed in Chattanooga so I need to remember that even if I'm a bit behind my target pace, I need to stay steady and not try and make up time as it will cost me more in the end. I was supposed to go back out and ride the 19 mi. route to finish the day at 80 miles, but I decided to turn back to the parking lot and call it a day. I took a quick break at Sosbee Cycling park for a bathroom stop and then was on my way back to the car.  I was a little disappointed in myself for not pushing through, but I'm not going to linger on that too long as I know I have to keep moving forward after each training session if I'm going to be successful on race day. The great news was that I have definitely found the right saddle as my 2nd ride on the Cobb V-Flow Max proved to be much more comfortable that any others I have tried. Time to go to All3Sports this next week and trade in the test saddle for the real thing.
Garmin track for the bike: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/550625096

The Long Run

Sunday morning's run was going to be incredibly tough. Or so I thought. I had 3 hours on schedule and after the way I felt last Sunday on the long run, I was expecting to really have to dig deep for this one. I was pleasantly surprised at the outcome. It was a piece of cake mind you, but I did find that I didn't feel as tired or feel the urge to take an extra walk during the final few miles. We were headed to the parking lot (aka the finish line for the day's run) and when we got there my Garmin said we had run 18.37 miles. That wasn't good enough for me. I hate ending on odd intervals so I shouted back to my running partner, "Come on! I want 18.5!" He agreed and we made a couple of extra twists and turn through the parking lot to hit the mark. I haven't run that distance since my first marathon last November and I didn't feel this good during the marathon by a long shot. Training for this race has really taken my endurance to a new level which has, in turn, taken my confidence to a new level as well. Garmin track for the run: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/550625139

Weekly Totals: Swim - 3500m • Bike - 79mi • Run - 28.34mi

Training Week In Review: Week 19 (aka Mother Nature Calls An Audible)

Rain, Rain, Go Away...

This week was been a test against mother nature. I managed to complete all of my weekday workouts without encountering too much resistance from the skies. That story didn't hold true for the weekend. I woke up Saturday morning to what normally I would describe as the peaceful sounds of drizzling rain.
To a triathlete in training, this sound isn't so peaceful. It's more like fingernails scraping along a chalkboard as it brings the choice to either suffer through a long, wet training session or forgo your workout all together and attempt to make it up later.

The Long Bike

I had made my game plan earlier in the week that my long ride would consist of riding the 31 mile route with my training partner and then go back out to the same loop again, and then finishing with a shorter 19 mile route to bring my total ride to around 80 miles (or around 4 hrs.30 mins.) This would have been a new distance milestone for me so I was relatively excited about the possibilities on this ride. Unfortunately, those will have to wait until next weekend as the forecast didn't waver. It called for rain. Hard rain. All day long. I'm all for toughening up and gutting it out in less than ideal conditions, but I also know that wrecking on the bike due to rain and slick roads at this point in my training would be disastrous. I decided that letting my body (and mind) rest for an entire day wasn't a bad thing and spent the day relaxing, recharging, and focused on my long run the following morning.

The Long Run

Sunday morning arrived and I awoke with an unexpected feeling as I pulled myself out of bed to get ready for my 2 hr. 45 min. run. It was zero motivation. It's been a long time since I have not looked forward to a challenge or workout but that was the only way to describe my frame of mind that morning. I knew I couldn't skip this one too and the rain wasn't supposed to return until later in the day so I got my gear and headed to meet my running partner and get some work done. In order to get in the time I needed without having to do too many small loops we changed our route up a little which proved to be a good thing. When we were in the "middle" of our normal loop section we were in reality 5 miles further into the total run since we took a slight detour near the beginning to extend the route.
The run for the most part was uneventful. I continued to practice my walking for 45-60 seconds each mile and it seems to still be the best game plan to help me conserve energy and stay strong on the run. The only thing that was different this week from last week on the long run was how I felt at the end. My legs felt tired despite running a slightly slower pace overall from the previous week. I wasn't alarmed at this because I've come to realize that when I run long having rested the day before my muscles feel tired more easily than if I had spent some time on the bike the day before. Not sure why this is the case, but it has held true over the past few weeks.

Total Weekly Distance: Swim - 6000m • Bike - 22 mi • Run 21.85

Training Week in Review: Week 18

The week of being a Zombie... (without the eating brains part of course)

I was wondering when the feeling I've heard so many others describe would be arriving at my doorstep during this journey to Ironman. The wait is over. I felt like a Zombie this week.

No matter how many naps I got in, how early I went to bed, or how much coffee I drank (or contemplated an IV of pure caffeine) I couldn't seem to find my energy this week. It wasn't focused on just one discipline either. Whether I was swimming, biking, running, or working everything just felt twice as hard. I'm sure others have hit patches in their training like this but I really hope it moves on out after this week. Cause I'm too excited at the thought of my goal to feel this way during the process of getting there. I had great workouts by the numbers, but I didn't have the energy I've been used to feeling after they were complete. I knocked out my long bike on Saturday (69 mi) at a faster pace than ever at that distance (17.25 mph) and my long run was longer than I expected (16 mi) because my run pace was faster than planned (9:20/mi avg). In both of these sessions I felt good during the work part, but afterwards I wanted nothing more than to sleep. Not nap. Sleep.

I'm sure that this feeling is a combination of things that will work itself out in the coming days, but I hope I don't hit anymore training weeks like this as I'm not a fan of the tired, Zombie-like state I was in for most of the week. Most of the training for this week all blended together, but there are 3 that I want to talk about in a little detail.

The Long Bike...

On the plus side, I tried out a new saddle that Josh Wigley from All3Sports hooked me up with for a test ride. It was the Cobb V-Flow Max Tri Saddle and it felt pretty good throughout the entire ride. I was still a little sore from my ride last weekend so I'll give it another long weekend ride to make sure this is the one for me, but things look promising in that department. I also got a small adjustment on the aero bars while getting the new saddle put on and noticed an instant difference. Apparently I was reaching too far forward before which would explain why I felt very unstable when trying out the aero bars. This adjustment pulled everything in a little closer and at the end of my Saturday ride I decided to force myself to do some work and start getting down in aero position. (Disclaimer: this may be a natural change for lots of people, but for me having sketchy balance to begin with it is not a position that I feel comfortable or transition easily into) I hope to get into aero riding position more on my next ride and start reaping the benefits of less drag and more efficient riding.

The Long Run...

My long run continues to progress steadily as I added 2 miles from last weeks distance run. Since I'm walking 45 seconds at every mile I've noticed that my pace in between is getting a little faster. I'm still within my heart rate zones, but I have to make a mental note to not get in the habit of increasing the speed in between too much as I want to simulate the Ironman run portion as much as possible in training leading up to race day. (and believe me, I won't be running a 9:00 pace on race day). I did feel fatigue in my legs earlier than last week, but that is only because I biked Saturday and ran Sunday whereas last week those workout days were reversed. I also noticed that I drank almost my entire bottle during the run so next week I'll have to have a spare bottle in the car to pick up after the first loop. Glad to find that I'm drinking more as I usually forget to drink enough as I rarely feel the urge to drink. I know that failing to drink as often as I should will spell disaster on race day.

The Long Swim...

My other session of note for the week was my long swim on Friday. I was supposed to swim for 1 hour and when I saw that my time goal was reached, but I was still a couple hundred meters short of 4,000m so I pressed on a little longer and hit the 4,000m mark. It felt good to go distance on the swim, but I'll be much happier swimming that long in open water vs. the monotonous laps in the pool.

Weekly Totals: Swim - 7000m • Bike - 104.5 • Run - 21.26mi

Training Week In Review: Week 17

Making Strides In Mental Training

In this week's review I'd like to focus mainly on 2 training sessions: My long run and my second ride on the IM Chattanooga bike course. First up, the run.

Perfect weather for a long run!

Just Keep Putting One Foot In Front Of The Other...

I was presented the rare opportunity to run outdoors, in july, in nice cool temperatures on Saturday morning. My usual running compadres were both out of town so I decided it was time to toughen up and get some mental training in by doing a long solo run. It's been a very long time since I've run more than 3-4 miles unaccompanied, but I knew that I would feel (and most likely be) alone for at least some parts of the run on race day. I also wanted to employ my tactic of running a mile at a time and walking for 45 seconds to a minute at each mile. This strategy is what I feel will make for a more pleasant run after the 2.4 swim and 112 mi bike. Up until now I've been stopping for a brief walk every 3 miles, but as the distances increase I know that practicing my race day strategy as much as I can will pay off big time in the end. I also needed to see how I would handle additional nutrition on the run as I was drinking every mile as opposed to every 3. The results? It couldn't have gone better for the entire 2 hours and 15 minutes. With each passing mile I felt no difference from when I started. The nutrition sustained me through each step and my pace was right on target at 9:31 per mile. The route I ran consisted of a 12 mi loop with a smaller 2 mi loop tacked on at the end. The 2 mi loop is worth mentioning as it contained the longest/steepest hill of the entire route. I must admit I was proud for pushing myself to climb it at the end of the run as it would have been just as easy to have turned a different direction and finish on much flatter terrain. My elevation on the Garmin is still experiencing issues so I recorded the elevation on my iPhone. Here's the Garmin track for my run(with elevation manually added in):
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/534879163

Chattanooga Bike Course Recon Ride, Take 2...

Photo courtesy of Ed Rusk.

On Sunday I made the short drive North to meet up with a group of North GA Tri Club folks and get my second taste of the bike course. I expected this rider to feel harder since I had completed my long run less than 24 hours prior. I also wanted to use this opportunity to experiment with gears/pace and see what my limits were so I could settle in on my target pace for race day. The ride went great! I was surprised at how much of the course I remembered from my first ride. Though I will say that I forgot how rough the roads were until you hit the loop section of the course. I predict that there will be lots of bottles scattered on the side of the roads during that first 11 mile stretch out of transition. Luckily I had mine secured with rubber bands to ensure that they stayed put throughout the ride. We took a little faster pace at the start than my last trip out, but I was prepared to push things a little bit and see what happened. The group started out with about 20 riders and quickly broke into 3-4 groups. The speed demons (not my group), the slightly slower speed demons (not my group either), the average pacers (definitely my group), and the 2 loopers who were doing the loop twice. I was happy to stay in the group I knew I could hang with and keeping a steady pace really made the ride enjoyable. Since it was my second experience on the course I took the time to look around a little more at the landscape this time. What I found was that this route is loaded with natural beauty. I noticed a field packed with tall sunflowers and several instances of mountains in the background that I somehow missed the first time around. I hope to be able to enjoy the same sights on race day and not be so focused on the task at hand that I forget to enjoy where I am and what I see.

My legs felt the course a little earlier than last time, but I expected that due to the run on Saturday. It wasn't bad and I never encountered a moment where I felt the need to stop for a break (for my legs anyway). We stopped at a little gas station on the south side of Downtown Chickamauga to refill water and take advantage of their restroom. After a short break we got back to pedaling and were nearing the end of the day's ride. The last few miles went faster than I remember and before I knew it we were making the final turn back into the Bi-Lo parking lot. When I looked at my Garmin to see what the day's effort resulted in I was surprised to see an average speed of 17.2 mph. That's a good difference from my 16.7 mph average my first time out. I don't think I'll be pushing that pace on race day in order to save my legs for the run, but it was nice to know that maintain that speed for 60 miles didn't drain my legs like I thought it would. I came out of this second ride with more confidence and optimism for the bike portion of the race and can't wait to return and ride it again. Here's the Garmin track for the bike course (again with elevation manually added in):
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/535916753

Weekly Totals: Swim - 3500m • Bike - 98.26mi • Run - 20.91