Giant Acorn Weekend

About two or three months ago I was looking for one last weekend available for my last triathlon of the year. Last year I did Giant Acorn International (also referred to as Olympic distance), and won the Clydesdale division. I thought this would be a great race to come back and race.

Set up events does some unique race weekends where Saturday is the Olympic distance race, and Sunday is the Sprint distance. Since this is rare, I figured I could create a new test for myself. I signed up for the Olympic AND Sprint distance races!

Telling everyone that this is what I was going to do elicited a few "you are nuts", and mostly the same responses that came from Ironman. My answer to anyone asking me why I wanted to do this, was "how do I know I can't win both days for my division without trying it?"

Saturday came around, Melissa and I loaded up my bike, and the rest of the equipment to make the hour and a half drive down to Bumpass, Virginia. Once we arrived, with a race start at 10 AM (almost unheard of) we went through the easy packet pick up and body marking. With all the racing I have done over the last few year, this has become less and less stressful.

We made it down to the swim start and waited for my wave. The water temperature was 79 degrees, which makes it wet-suit legal if you do not want to be eligible for awards.

Since I was racing in the Clydesdale division, we start near the end. Of the six wave stars, we started fifth. The waves went off every three minutes, so we took off at 10:12. Since it wasn't wetsuit legal, PR'ing my swim was going to be difficult.

I took off starting out long and smooth with my swim, focusing on deep breaths, and positioning of my hand. After about 200 yards, I started noticing that when I was sighting the buoys, I was not seeing purple swim caps (our waves assigned caps). I also started noticing the swim caps from the other waves.


I came out of the water first in the Clydesdale at 29:18. 1:47 per 100 yard

The jog to transition was slightly up hill. With perfect racing weather, all I needed to put on was my helmet and my race belt. My awesome new S-works trivent, were already clipped on the bike so after a slight jog out of transition, I mounted the bike to head out on the next leg.

Transition time: 1:37 1st in Clydesdale.

The bike was two loops of rolling hills around part of Lake Anna. The hills weren't very hard, but the constant headwind was slowing the bike section down. It seemed that every turn that we took, shifted the headwind. My Cervelo, with some rented ZIPP 808's from FRESHBIKES Bethesda, cut through the air cruising to the second fastest bike time for Clydesdale.

Bike time: 59:19 (25.1 mph).

Heading to transition was a little difficult running barefoot over some gravel. Getting through the gravel without cuts was key, then re-racked my bike. All I needed to start the run was my shoes with Yankz! laces and Oakley Livestrong Jawbones.

Fastest Clydesdale transition at 0:47.

The run was a combination of running through a field with divots, then a long mile up hill, slight down hill then retrace the last 1.25 miles then a run down to the swim start and back up the gravel path for a second lap. There was a lot of climbing for the run but in the end felt good and confident with my run.

Finished fifth fastest Clydesdale 9:25 per mile.

Overall finish: 2:29:31, First overall Clydesdale, 53rd of 293 overall (18% percentile).



After finishing Saturday's race and awards we headed home and recovered as much as I could before having to get up again for Sunday's race.

Sunday's weather was like a 180 degree turn. Saturday was in the 70's, sunny, and a great day to race. Sunday's weather was about 30 degrees colder, overcast, and at points raining. The amazing change for this race was that this race was wetsuit legal. Apparently there was enough cold air and cold rain to change the temperature about 4-5 degrees to be at the top end of wetsuit legal.

As you can see from my awesome fiance, the weather was not favorable.

















While I racked my bike and prepped transition, Melissa went back to the car and grabbed my sleeveless 2XU wetsuit for the race. Even though I was confident that I could finish and do well with the swim without the wetsuit, I consider it free speed.

The water was actually nice to get into since it was about 20-25 degrees warmer than the air temperature. The swim started fairly similar to Saturday. The only difference was that I could feel the previous day's swim within the first 100 yards. I still was focusing on staying long and relaxed.

I got out of the water while catching the main pack from the previous wave start.

I came out of the water first in the Clydesdale at 13:14. 1:37 per 100 yard .


Transition was the same as Saturday's as well, the only time addition was due to removing the wetsuit and putting on a jacket since it was cold and windy on top of putting my helmet and race bib on.

Transition time: 2:20 5th in Clydesdale.

The bike for this race was the same course as Saturday's race, but only one loop instead of Saturday's two. Having raced yesterday, my legs felt tired. The good thing was that I could push harder on this lap, while taking turns significantly slower with the rain slicking up the roads.

Bike time: 31:25 (22 mph).



By the time transition came, the weather had cleared up a little. I ditched the jacket for the run (I work better in cooler weather. Transition took a little longer but still a respectable time

Transition time: 1:03 4th in Clydesdale.



The run was also similar to Saturday with one loop of the international run course. Even though it was one loop, the run wasn't much easier. Up till this point I was in the lead for the Clydesdale, but around mile one, a guy standing around 6'6" ran by me, for the win. He was a much more powerful runner that I am, and he also didn't race on Saturday. Not that it is any excuse, but I do know what I'm going to be working on for the off season.

Run time: 25:51 (8:19 per mile) 5th fastest in Clydesdale.

Finish time: 1:13:52, 2nd place in Clydesdale.

Thanks to CLIF bar for a great year of racing!

Ironman Coeur d'Alene Videos

I realize that I haven't written any reports on my first Ironman race in June. Will be writing one shortly but to show I was there, here are some video's my parents took using their iPad.


















-Steve

$1,000 Triathlon Outfitting: Part II

If you haven't already, Here is Part One of my $1000 Triathlon Outfitting Posts. I have already covered the swim section of the triathlon, but now I want to get into the most expensive part of the triathlon sport, cycling.

THE BIKE

As I stated in the previous post, while Craigslist and other websites like it are options for a cheap bike, my suggestion is to go with a local cycling email group that posts items for sale. These should be easy to find through a Google search or talking with the people at the bike shop or on a group training ride.

Besides going to a cycling group email or Craigslist, shopping at a bike shops season clearance event would be the next best option. These sales typically take place in the fall season and can be deeply discounted to make way for the next seasons latest and greatest.

Performance Bicycles will have some of the best options available online. Doing a search in their "outlet" section, I found this entry level bike for $600. Also keep a look out for discounts with Performance. As I searched the website there was a deal that was currently going on, giving an extra 15% off of outlet items. This would bring the bike price to $510.

However you get your bike, be sure it has been inspected by someone knowledgeable. This could mean the difference between finishing time and DNF.

If this is the first triathlon or if comfort on the bike is not a strong point, toe pedals (typically included with the purchase) might be the best option. There is no worry about clipping in or clipping out of pedals or loosing time struggling with these issues. My first triathlon I did back in 2007 I did with toe hooks. These make it so the only thing needed for shoes is the pair of running shoes that will be used later in the race.

If there is enough time between purchasing the bike and the race, getting a pair of shoes with clip-in pedals is a worth while investment. If this is your first time with these shoes, don't go for high end. Start off with a basic shoe with SPD cleats. This type of shoe will be less than $50 and another $25 for the pedal. These provide the added benefit of being able to be used on the spin bikes in most if not all gyms. This would be a good place to start riding with the shoes and getting use to clipping in and clipping out as well as any change in pedal stroke.

HELMET

Any helmet purchased brand new will be doing what it is suppose to, preventing major brain and head injuries. The difference in prices will be based on the weight and ventilation of the helmet. The cheaper helmets will not be vented or as light as the higher end helmets that will be seen in the professional ranks.

A simple Google search, here, shows that helmets are affordable. Every race that is sanctioned by a USA organization requires a helmet. Without a helmet, YOU WILL NOT COMPETE. Also keep in mind that once there is a crash or after two years of use, replace the helmet. This is because of the foam that is in the helmets wears out.

An upgrade to an aerodynamic helmet can also be affordable, but I suggest waiting on purchasing until after the first race. Once realizing your enjoyment for the triathlon lifestyle, finding an aero helmet under $100 is possible. I personally use Louis Garneau helmet that based on my searches isn't made anymore. Like any other product, fit is key, so be sure to try before you buy.

WATER BOTTLES

Any standard water bottle can be purchase from Wal-Mart or sports shops for $2-$4. If there is a desire to upgrade, Camelbak makes great insulated bottles that run for around $10-$12. I personally use Profile Design aerobottle. This will attach to the aerobars and provides easy access to hydration.

SADDLE BAG and other minor items

These bags are meant to hold items such as spare tire (in case of a flat tire), CO2 cartridge (to inflate the spare tire), and tire levers (to remove the flat tire). All of these items are handy items with all of them able to be purchased individually for under $15. All saddle bags are going to be based on preference but as long as they fit on your bike and fit all the items needed, there is no reason to buy the most expensive.

Tubes, CO2 cartridge/pump, tire levers, and multi-tool should be purchased online. My personal choice for websites is biketiresdirect.com, this website gives you credit for your previous purchase towards your current purchase. Along with that there is free shipping on any purchase over $100 total. I use Continental tubes, generic CO2 cartridge (cheapest is good and make sure it's threaded), CO2 Inflator, and Park Tool levers. Multi-tools should be small and simple with nothing more than 5 or 10 tools. Something that requires more than the 5-10 tools that come standard with multi tools can not be fixed on the side of the road.

FLOOR PUMPS

If you are buying a floor pump, it needs to have a gauge to show the PSI (pressure per square inch), as well as Presta and/or Schrader Valve Compatible. Presta valves are typical for road bike tires, where as Schrader valves are more for mountain bike tires.

I will post the third and final post on outfitting, finishing up with the run.

$1,000 triathlon outfitting: Part I

So a friend (@MrJoeSterne) referred me to an article written on Gizmodo.com (Click Here) The Ultimate Triathlon Outfit For Under $1,000. He asked my thoughts on this, and while there are some reasonable recommendations, there are other ways to gear up while staying within the $1,000.00 limit.

The main things that the author, Brent Rose, missed while talking to coaches and other athletes was extensive use of the secondary market, purchasing closeout or sale items, and using rental equipment.

Within many communities of athletes, whether it is cycling clubs, training groups, or email servers, there are people that are looking to purge their garage or cycling room of old or unused parts. In Washington, D.C. there are people that post anything that they are willing to sell or trade, such as bike frames, cranks, aerobars, and trainers. This would be the first place to look for a "new to you" bike due to the reliability when comparing to Craigslist or Ebay.

When stores or websites have products that have been available for some time these products will go to to their sale or closeout sections. Within these sections items are typically deeply discounted to make room in their warehouse or store fronts for the newest products. The key thing to take away from this is that most companies products do not change from year to year. The product that you buy from last year will be the same or close to the same as this season.

Rental equipment is also a cheaper way to test the waters (no pun intended) of triathlons. Local triathlon stores will have wetsuits as well as aerodynamic wheels. This is a way to have the benefits of the wetsuit such as warmth, hydrodynamics, and buoyancy without having to invest.

Now to get into my $1,000 triathlon outfitting.

For this, I will use some of what I prefer while mixing in some research on Google and other triathlon specific online stores. Everyone should keep in mind that each person is unique. While some of these products I have used, they might not be for everyone. With clothing what is cheapest and what is the most expensive might not be the best for you. A lot of the clothing I have used is based on trial and error.

CLOTHING

Clothing selection for triathlons is one of the most (if not THE MOST) important items needed for the race. This is the only thing that will be worn the entire race. There are three main options for what can be worn: tri suit, tri top/bottom, and speedo.

Personally I have worn only the tri suit and tri top/bottom. Trust me, no one wants to see me in a speedo especially if I'm running! The main thing to consider for suit vs top/bottom is the length of the race. For races that are shorter, i.e. Sprint and Olympic distance, personal preference is the only thing to consider. I have not notice a difference between these two assuming same company, product style, and fit.

The key choice between the two will come with the longer distances 70.3 and up. 70.3, for the non-triathlete is a half Ironman, this is 1.2 miles swimming, 56 miles biking, and 13.1 mile run. For these longer races there will be a time (assuming proper hydration) that bathroom breaks will be required, the top/bottom option is the better choice. As a side note, unless you are going for the overall win for prize money, don't pee on yourself it's not worth it.

2XU tri suit (Click Here) is a solid performance tri suit for a reasonable price. This has all that is needed for a race with a small but comfortable chamois. This suit is durable as well, I have had mine for over two years and only some minor stitching has been worn out. Typically this can be found for around $130.00 on most websites. One of the best things to do before finalizing a purchase would be to search on triathlete blogs or online for discount codes.

My tri top/bottom of choice now is the Sugoi Turbo Tri Tank (Click Here) and Sugoi Turbo Tri shorts (Click Here). Both of these items run for around $55 each (from Sugoi.com), but with a little investigation in their sale selection or other websites clearance this would be the high end cost for Sugoi clothing.

Deal of the season: I purchased Pearl Izumi's P.R.O. line from Trisports.com at the end of the season (December 2011) and paid half of the overall cost for the shorts and top. These combine for $270 for the top and bottom, but I walked away paying about $130.

SWIMMING

Wetsuits are more of a luxury item in the Triathlon world. While it isn't required for any race, this is an item desired when in cooler water. I recently did Ironman Coeur d'Alene where the water was a cool 55 degrees Fahrenheit. For this race only one person did not wear a wetsuit.

USA Triathlon (the governing body for triathlons within the USA) does not require a wetsuit at any race, but if the water temp is 78 degrees F or below, wetsuits are allowed without limitations. If the water temperature is between 78.1 and 83.9 degrees, you can wear one but you won't be eligible for awards or prize money. At 84 degrees and up, wetsuits are illegal.

A simple Google search can show you that wetsuits can be affordable, with the cheap side being below $100. My recommendation is that a wetsuit should be tried on before purchasing. You will not know how it feels on your neck or body without trying it on. There is no uniformity to a Small, Medium, Large, or Extra-Large between companies.

My choices of wetsuits are the Blue Seventy Men's Fusion full arm suit (Seen Here) on sale for $188. This is the wetsuit I've had for almost four years now and feels brand new. Blue Seventy has a flexible and comfortable wetsuit that is affordable and durable. This has been through cross country trips, 3 years of racing, and multiple open water swims.

Sleeveless wetsuits can be beneficial for the events that are closer to the 78 degree water temperature. These will provide the bouyancy and swim efficiency of a sleeved wetsuit with reduced insulation. The sleeveless suit I have is a 2XU that I found at my local triathlon/bike shop that they previously rented from the shop for one-third of the price.

In my next post I will discuss the bike.

New Races and plans

How is it that July is almost half way over?! I'm sitting here typing this up with this Saturday being the Total 200 ride. You read that right, 200 miles in one day. I've been building miles and getting as ready as I can. A few weeks ago I did my first century ride. Of coarse that is the day that the temperature gets up to 98 degrees in DC and I spend 52 miles riding by myself on hilly roads. After 100.2 miles and 5,300 calories burned I learned a few things:

1.) I need to eat much much more than I did on the ride. I should be eating between 300 and 400 calories an hour. I had a grand total of maybe 500 or 600 calories over the whole ride.

2.) When it's hot, you can't drink enough. I went through at least 9 bottles of water, each of them being about 25 oz. Seven of them were water, one was Gatorade.

I'm excited for this ride but I think I'm more nervous about this ride than I was for the half Ironman I did last year.

On a positive note, I've been doing consistent group rides and there as been some talks of joining a cycling team as a basic rider starting at the bottom (Cat 4/5 rider) and seeing what comes of it. I'm going to be looking into racing in the Mid-Atlantic area next year, as well as a few races that are close to my hometown. I'll see what happens and I'll hopefully get some good races in and win some races.

Another goal for next year will be Chicago Marathon! With the 10 miler and half marathon coming in the next few months, they will be good thoughts on how the marathon would go.

Here are some new updates for the racing season.

July:

July 17th: www.total200.com double century bike ride! 200 miles - 100 miles out, lunch, 100 miles back

August:

August 14th – 21st: Brigantine Family vacation (Brigantine, NJ)

August 29th: Annapolis 10 Miler Run(Annapolis, MD)

September:

September 12th: Parks Half Marathon, Rockville, MD to Bethesda, MD

November: TBD (Vacation in Ohio for Thanksgiving hopefully)

December: TBD (Queens, NY for Christmas break)

5 Boros Bike Tour and Races Update

So it has been a few weeks since I participated with Melissa and my parents in New York City's Five Boro Bike Tour. The best way to sum it up was mostly a let down.

The day started very early in Queens with loading the bikes, and gearing up for the event. Then heading to the Long Island Railroad to have the easiest way to the city without paying a whole bunch for parking.

We made our way from Penn Station down the west side of Manhattan till we got to where my parents stayed for the night, Millennium Hilton. If you have never seen or stayed at this place it is right next to the World Trade Center/Ground Zero. This is the first time I had been to the World Trade Center since probably mid 1990s. It was great seeing the plans posted on the fences there, as well as construction taking place.

We came to find out that the starting line was right in front of the hotel, which worked out great for my parents. The only thing is we wished we knew this before hand so we could have planned for a later arrival time to the start.

Here is where the day started to suck. the race was suppose to start somewhere around 9 a.m. At about 10 a.m. we were actually moving. Once we were beginning our trek up to Central Park we thought this was great. Cruising along the wide open road, enjoying the sites. Then we got to Central Park

In Central Park the roads narrowed, went slightly up hill, and split then merged shortly after. This all caused a huge back up and one of our first parts of standing/walking the bikes. We continued to walk then bike a little, then slow down, then stop, then try to restart, only to be stopped by volunteers letting traffic go through the course.

We got to the first rest stop which was a huge Cluster F**k. The one amazing thing was that my uncle was doing the ride as well, and we were hoping to find him at some point during the ride (The problem was that there were thousands of people there and it wasn't very likely that we were going to find him at all during the ride). By some dumb luck we ended up 20 feet from each other near the port-o-johns.

After starting out again after filling water bottles and getting a little food, we made it maybe a mile or two on the FDR before we were stopped yet again because of letting cars dictate our ability to ride on these roads. 10 more minutes of walking the bike and then we were able to start climbing to ride the bikes on the bridge to Queens.

***This brings me to a complaint. The bike ride is suppose to be 42 miles, this is not a short ride, even when you are riding leisurely. So get out and ride, and be in some sort of shape to ride around and not be in the middle of the road and have to stop when there are people surrounding you. Melissa was almost taken out by a guy who couldn't make it and without looking or moving to one side, just stopped his bike.***


After making the decent off the bridge we are sent down a helix where there again is a stop and walk, also this is apparently the place, through no fault of our own, where the bike tour cut a few miles off of the ride. Since they couldn't start on time or properly control traffic we got screwed out of most of Queens.

Then after this go through the slums of Brooklyn (no sites worth seeing), then only a highway where it was just moving along to get to Staten island, got stopped up again at another helix, where we got to another rest area. This rest area was poorly stocked and didn't have water. The only water available here was from a fire hydrant (If we are spending the money get some proper water for all the people you allow to be at the tour).

Then we take a quick trip over the bridge to Staten Island. It was quick since we weren't allowed to stop on the bridge for any pictures. Then to the fake finish. It was fake because we had to still ride 2 miles to get to the ferry.

The nice parts were riding with the family and Melissa, seeing some good sites, and running into my uncle.

My suggestion for anyone reading this that would consider doing it would be to avoid trying. This is not well organized. It would be better for the company to have staggered times to ride, avoiding a lot of the clutter of people. Also cutting down on the amount of entries would help.

Anyways, once the tour left Manhattan it wasn't much of an event.

I'm finished with my rant, but the pictures are up on Facebook. There is a link to my facebook page to the right of this blog. If you want to add me as a friend to see the pictures go for it. I should accept shortly after the request is sent.

I also wanted to update the spring/summer races:


April 18th: Earth Day 5k (Silver Spring, MD) Finished 25:34

May 2nd: 5 boros bike tour (New York, NY) Finished with sunburns/tan lines to show
May 8th weekend: Trip to NY Lots of Fun!
May 12th – 16th: Agee/Spampinato wedding (Cincinnati, Ohio) Whole lot of fun, Congrats Agee's
May 29th weekend: Trip to NY

June:

June 12th-13th: Bike MS ride (30 miles on Saturday, 50 miles on Sunday)
Raising money for Multiple Sclerosis

July:

July 4th weekend trip to Philly!
July 10th: Caribbean Sounds 10k (Rock Creek Park) possible, not definite
July 17th: www.total200.com double century bike ride! 200 miles - 100 miles out, lunch, 100 miles back

August:

August 14th – 21st: Brigantine Family vacation (Brigantine, NJ)


September:

September 4th: Open Water Swimming races in Connecticut (3 mile, 1.5 mile, .5 mile)
Septemver 12th: Parks Half Marathon, Rockville, MD to Bethesda, MD
September 18th: Run Geek Run 8k (West Potomac Park)

October 10th: Boo! Run for Life 10k (West Potomac Park)

November: TBD (Vacation in Ohio for Thanksgiving hopefully)

December: TBD (Queens, NY for Christmas break)
Somewhere I would like to do a shorter triathlon (June –August time frame)

Even more updates for the summer

Additions have been made again for my summer races/events.

My BikeMS ride is still June 12-13th but now I have a link for anyone who would like to help with my goal of raising $300 towards MS research Click Here.

I'm also going to sign up for a half marathon in September!
In Bethesda/Rockville Area!

Vacations are set for Possibly October and definitely August.