Don’t touch my desserts!  Mine!

The bikes had toppled in the bed of the truck – living dangerously!

The bikes happily stationed in the Truck Bed.

SuperDome – Legendary!

Look who we found at the swim facility!

52 degrees to soothe the muscles!

Pre-swim pose on deck.

Everywhere we go, there you are – Ultragen Smoothie!

First thing in the morning!

Lake Pontchartrain – morning run.

A calm view of the lake.

Leigh Ayn and Coach Amanda Pre-run

Waking up!

Cookie, my little Louisiana Friend

Hey, my shoes are on T.V.

Photo Friday is a new installment on my blog.  I’ll be doing my best to post regular photographic evidence of Team Lovato and our friends throughout the day.  Without further ado, and without further words (except captions, which are legal), I present Photo Friday (the 13th).

                                          Amanda whipped up Ultragen smoothies after the hill run.

Amanda and Mike finishing off what was left in the blender (& warming up).

 
           Taking a load off my tired legs, while putting down some Ultragen.

 
                   Mike is gathering up his First Endurance free samples – one of the benefits of training with Team Lovato!

                                                                       Is a caption necessary?

                    Tyler Matlock, FAC Front Desk Captain, blogger, and newbie triathlete

Big Lunch at Big Daddy after Big Swim (Julie shows off her balance).

 
                          And then she sped off like the serious biker chick that she is.

                                       Amanda was loving her bike ride today.

 
                                       Is a cycling kit proper cooking apparel?

I always considered myself a dog person.  While I had a bit of appreciation for a feline here and there throughout my upbringing, I had always wandered toward the canine side of the animal park.

It all changed one afternoon in the Washington-Dulles International Airport, when a 26-pound bundle of slightly-freaked-out-fur dug his claws into my arms, shoulders, and back.  Frisco was about to go through airport security during his move to Boulder, and he wanted me to hold onto him.  So I held onto him; and he returned the favor.

Frisco did not make the long drive to Boulder with me, Amanda and the dogs, because he was wise enough to know that 30 hours in the car is not always a fun time – and we were wise enough to know that an incessant meow-fest is only endearing for the first 20 minutes.  And so post-move I made my way back out to Maryland to retrieve Frisco, and to remove him from his grandmother’s care.  Frisco moved out West, and so began our truly unique and wonderful bonding experience.

Although our deeper connection began in December of 2003, I had gotten my first taste of Frisco back in 1999 – when he was still a young pussy, only 2 years of age.

He was the first cat that showed me the cross-species bond that could flourish between cat and dog.  He was the first cat that showed he was dog at heart, but cat in so many wonderful ways.  He was the only kitty I’d ever seen go toe-to-toe with a cuddly and tough Jack Russell Terrier named Gretel Gillam.  He was so cool.  The way they tangled and rolled and frolicked and played was amazing to me.  I am quite certain this was not the first fun case of cats and dogs living together, but it was my first encounter of it – and I loved it.

In his Frisco way, he showed me that cats can play whatever game they want.  If we were to take the dogs for a walk through the Baltimore neighborhood Amanda called home, why wouldn’t Frisco join us?  Leash? Not necessary for this little (BIG) guy. He’d amble along, pretending at times that he was not even with us. In and out of the shadows, under and behind parked cars, Frisco made more than one evening walk with our little dog pack. Again, as it was purely unique and wonderful for me to see, Frisco taught me that I had been missing out by not previously getting to know any cats.

As if to ensure that he had earned my love and respect – in our newly established relationship – Frisco made one final gesture on a visit I made to B’more in Amanda’s and my early days together.  Up early for swim practice one day, she and I staggered out of the house only to discover a little Frisco gift waiting for us on the doorstep: a headless bunny.  What he had done with that little rabbit’s head, I’ll never know; but to honor Frisco’s offering and conquest – and to impress Amanda – I scooped up and disposed of the carnage.  Thanks Frisco, our bond was sealed.

In the ensuing years, I became more and more aware that I loved this kitty cat, and touchingly, he loved me just as much.  As a previously non-cat-person, I was shocked by several of Frisky’s tendencies and habits: he loved, loved, loved to be brushed, petted, and cuddled – and he would thank you by slicing and dicing your hand with claws and teeth.

He loved to stick one leg straight up in the air, a physics-defying yoga-stretch move that I didn’t know possible.  “Amanda, Amanda, come look at what Frisco is doing?” I would shout, amazed at my little (BIG) cat’s moves.  Forever I was convinced that this was a trait unique to my cat, and to my cat only.

Stalking and slicing were two of Frisco’s better honed skills.  Much to the chagrin and detriment of our dear Blue Dog, Frisco would test out his inner ninja by hiding from then chopping up our whippet.  We hated to see Blue suffer, but we knew that it meant Frisco was living a full and charged up life – and that most often he was looking for some extra attention from his people.  And so we gave it to him.

To me Frisco was the perfect blend of cat and dog.  I always believed he had a little (BIG) dog inside of him.  Evidence of that hybrid was the fact that he preferred dog food and dog treats to his own cat formulas; he loved to go on those neighborhood walks; and he very often greeted us at the door – giving an almost-wag of the tail (or so I imagined).  Frisco had those so-called dog traits, but he was very clearly a little (BIG) feline friend.

He could leap to great heights, make a quick squirrel kill, dominate a dog, dominate a human, and, of course, completely dominate his litter box.  Many Dog and Cat Sitters of Casa Lovato have witnessed the power and fury of Frisco’s little (BIG) smashfests time and time and time again.

After knowing a cat for this many years, after loving Frisco for this long, I can finally say that I no longer consider myself a dog or a cat person; but rather, I am an animal person.  And Frisco has been and will continue to be a very special (BIG) part of my life.

I take comfort knowing that Frisco is moving onward in his journey, and that his next stop is a wonderful place that is full of all the dog kibble he can handle.  He’s sipping large doses of water, and lounging about between bouts of exercise with JRT’s and unlucky squirrels or bunnies.  He’s no doubt tucked under grill covers, or enjoying other secret hiding places – probably just saving up energy for an evening walk around the ‘hood.  Without a doubt, Frisco is being Frisco, and he’s doing so with more than a little (BIG) panache.

Love ya, Big Frisc!

When I’m getting ready to turn up the fire, here is what goes into the furnace:

As is typical with riding the Cycleops PowerBeam Pro, there is general an ebb and flow of positive energy.  Today, while churning out some quality intervals, I decided to take note of some of own inner monologue.

It went something like this:

“Wonder how I’m going to feel today?”

“Wow, Amanda is really ramping up the speed on the treadmill this morning!”

“Dang, I am feeling pretty good; heart rate seems low, power seems high.”

“Shit, I am really crushing this workout!”

“Whoa, I really wish I was racing next weekend.”

“I would totally kill it if I were heading to Panama!”

“Pretty sure nobody could hold my wheel if I were there.”

“Maybe should have put the space heater on low; I’m getting really hot in here.”

” ‘Give back my heart, chip kicker red neck woman; take those boots and walk out of my life.’ I love that song.”

“I wonder if anyone else listens to Lyle Lovett on the trainer?”

“Crap, I’m really drenched.”

“And I’m getting pretty tired.”

“In fact, someone better get me another towel… ”

“But I’m the only one here – when did Amanda finish running.”

“Need food; I’m done.”

“Get me off of this damn trainer.”

As you can see, there are ups and downs.  And  now I had better fuel up a bit.

JEFF IRVIN @JeffIrvin.

His guess of 5.2 pounds was just shy of the exact amount: 5.4 lbs.

Pre race weight photo, after eating a large breakfast (bagel, almond butter, banana, 1/4 of a cookie, stale energy bar, large glass of water, one bottle of EFS:

(Sorry it’s upside down and sorry the toes are unsightly.)

The temperature at the start of my run was 68 degrees, slightly overcast. But we are in Boulder, so it feels a lot warmer!

(video – click on photo)

During the run, I drank every bit of it:

In all bottles, the total: 104 ounces of pure water. In both flasks, the total: 600 calories of EFS Liquid Shot + 3 oz of water (10 oz total).

I drank one bottle every 4 miles, with the first one lasting 5.5 miles.  The total run time was 2:15, with an average pace of 6:18 per mile (21.25 miles). The workout was 5K wu, 11K at tempo, 5k regroup, 11k at tempo, 2+k cool down.

The temperature at the finish of my run was 73 degrees (12:05PM), with sunny skies.

The post-run weigh-in shows that I am down, despite consuming 114 total ounces of fluid (water + liquid shot).

This means that I lost 5.4 lbs during the course of the run, and Jeff guessed 5.2 lbs.

What does it all mean, despite that Jeff has won himself a bunch of fun freebies?

To me the greatest lesson to share with you all is that despite the seemingly cool conditions, my sweat rate is remains very high.

Converting from ounces to pounds, I took in an average of 3.167 pounds of fluid per hour. My net loss was 5.4, or 2.4 pounds per hour average.  So, we can say that combining the 3.167 (I took in) with the 2.4 (I lost), my sweat rate per hour is 5.567 pounds per hour.  This is right in line with the numbers we discovered during my lab tests a few years ago. However, the lab tests were in extreme “Kona” conditions (85 degrees with 80% + humidity).

So what you hopefully take home is this: your sweat rate is your sweat rate in most conditions. There is little variation, so figure out how much you are losing per hour, and aim to replace that fluid. For best results, combine the pure water with an electrolyte drink or shot like EFS.  This helps you absorb the fluid, and it will keep you in system in electrolyte balance – something that is key to successful endurance training and racing!

To those of you who thought I would not lose weight, you obviously haven’t seen me sweat!

Thanks for playing!

A rule of thumb I tend to live by is that hurting is OK, but harming is not.  This means that it’s fine to feel a bit of pain during the comeback, but the pain must go away (or at the very least stay the same) after the run.  Harming is when the pain you feel gets worse or persists all day long after the rehab run.

After my two runs, my assessment was that the muscle was loosening up, and there was notable improvement.  Fortunately for me, I have access to some amazing physical therapists in Austin (as well as in Boulder!), so they were able to confirm that the muscle strain was showing great improvement.  It was not just my own wishful thinking.

Day three of run comeback involved a 44-minute run – four blocks of 11 minutes with the corresponding 1-minute walk break.  The calf continued to pass the test.

Day four (yesterday) involved a bit of deep tissue work and ART.  I chose to swim and bike as my only training activities (in addition to my gym routine), so the calf got a break from running.  At the end of my long ride – later in the evening – I noticed that there was some new swelling/ fluid build-up on the tibia (near the injured Posterior Tibialis).  This pocket was not tender, but seemed to be a new addition.  I assumed it was a result of the manual therapy I had received that morning, so I iced for ten minutes.

Knowing that I had an hour run planned for today, I made sure I had covered every base, in terms of recovery. Another fortunate thing for me is that our Trakkers-Rev3 Racing Team has sponsorship by an amazing company, straight out of the medical industry: Recovery Pump.  Their products are designed to aid medical patients regain normal lymphatic flow and veinous return, when their bodies are not working properly.  These pneumatic compression boots are literal lifesavers to a great many people.  We athletes tend to need these same aids in our recovery, so the Recovery Pump has crossed over to our sport, and we are all the fortunate recipients of this crossover.

For an hour last night, as I tended to my computer work and rehydrating, I sat in my Recovery Pump boots.  Upon exiting the session, my “lump” of fluid, including any other (noticeable) fluid build-up was flushed completely gone.  Rare are the times when we can see visual proof that a product is working at it is touted to function.  We often are left to guess if what we did was helpful, coincidental, or purely an exercise in futility.  This is not to say those processes aren’t useful, but guessing tends to limit our confidence.

I am happy to say that Recovery Pump proved to me that it is a highly effective and useful tool to aid in recovery – from an injury, from a hard workout, or even from a hard day of standing around on our feet (we’ve all been there: wondering why we are so wrecked from attending a concert, for example).  Recovery Pump helped me wind down from a long training day, and it helped me heal up from a week-old injury.

While I am not back to full-speed yet, I am well on my way to getting there.  As I ended yesterday on the couch in a pair of “puffy boots”, I’m starting my day today in that same fashion.  Recovery Pump boots are also a great way to get the blood flowing in preparation for a training session.

Run comeback, here we go!

One of the huge benefits of racing Galveston was that I was able to drive down there from Austin. Not having to get on a plane, and deal with the wear and tear that goes with air travel, was a nice draw for me. However, one of the mistakes I made in my preparation for this event, was not respecting the possible downside to sitting in my car for three or four hours the day before the race.  In retrospect – and noting the struggles I ended up with on the race course – I should have arrived two days before the event; and I should have reserved ample respect for the wear and tear of a three- to four-hour drive.

Skipping ahead to race day, I awoke to the sound of absolute howling gale. My ideally located home stay was just one block off the seawall, so not only was I conveniently located near the race venue, but I was able to get a small taste of the weather conditions we’d face on the day.  As I prepared my pre-dawn breakie – version two of my pre-race staple – I began to get very excited to see how the rest of the field would handle a healthy dose of Texas wind.

I pedaled down to Moody Gardens to set up transition.  Even without my partner in crime, Amanda, I was a bit anxious and arrived at transition a touch earlier than I normally would.  One of the many benefits of having a prompt wife is that some of her timely traits have worn off on me.  With a fairly quick set-up, I ventured out for a short run warm-up.

Knowing that the air down on the Texas coast was a touch  more humid than, well, just about anywhere at this time of year, I ended up downing the better part of a 32-oz bottle of EFS.  During my set-up and warm-up, I stayed in touch with how much I was sweating, and I tried to keep the fluids topped off, and to not mistake the “cool” feeling of humid air for actual “cold” weather.

By the time we were herded over to our start pen, I was feeling topped off and ready to rock. My swim training this year has given me the confidence that I could exit the water with the front pack.  I knew we had a solid field, with some really good swimmers, and I was excited to test myself against some of the best.

We had a very short warm-up time, and I did my best to take full advantage of it.  I love a long warm-up, but when it’s not permitted, I throw a few dozen “frantic” strokes in there to simulate a bit of good arm turnover.  That being done, I situated myself on the start line between Tim O’Donnell and Terrenzo Bozzone: two fellows I knew would make that front group.

Once we get out into the meat of the swim course, my only complaint – aside from the slightly warm water – was that my navigation seemed to be a touch off.  I stayed in a nice patch of bubbles, benefiting from a great draft, but on several occasions I found myself veering right. Fortunately, I was able to swim my way back into the draft, and reposition myself with the group. However, with 400 or so meters to go, I popped out of the pod one too many times, and I never found my way back to them.  I exited the water approximately 20 seconds behind the trailing edge of the large front pack.

Transition is definitely an area where I can use some work! I did my best to sprint to the bikes, but ended up doing what I call a shuffle-plod until my legs got back under me. Not the best way to close that little gap!

Once onto the bike, I began to prepare myself for a rough 28-mile stretch of crossing headwinds. For some sick reason, I tend to really like riding in the wind, and crossing headwinds tend to be my favorite. There were no gusts, so I settled into a steady lean for an hour or so, hammering my way toward the front of the race.  With Chris Lieto blowing by me inside one mile, I did my best not to get discouraged with my early pace.  I felt that I was riding strong, but it’s hard to still believe it when someone like him comes by as though you’re seated on a stationary bike.

Once he was out of sight, I was able to focus on how many of the others I was able to pass, and consequently drop.  Knowing many of my fellow competitors, I knew that my efforts must be pretty solid – these guys I was getting away from were very strong cyclists.   Nearing the turnaround, I finally caught up to my teammate Richie Cunningham.  It was great to see a good friend out there, so I encouraged him to ride along with me as we caught the front group.

Hitting the turnaround, I had just managed to catch the chasing quartet of TO, Terrenzo, Rasmus Henning, and Paul Matthews. If chasing down Chris Lieto and Frederick VanLierde is the goal, having a strong bunch like this was the best way to tackle the task.

After regrouping for two to three minutes – in my mind I wanted to see what it felt like to sit at the back of a legally  spaced group – I pushed to the front.  With five competitive and driven individuals in close proximity, the collective mojo must have raised the pace a bit.  We ended up dropping TO, and breaking clear from most of the chasing riders.  One exception was that Ronnie Schildknecht of Switzerland came flying by around the 40-mile mark.  He took such a vicious turn at the front, that I feared he was going to make me pop.  Fortunately for me – and for the others – Ronnie seemed to pop a bit, most likely from the effort it took to catch us at that point. I retook my position at the front of the chase pace, and forced what I felt was a sustainable but challenging pace all the way back to T2.

My decision to stretch out the calves and hammies as we closed out the ride cost me all the glory of riding into T2 in 3rd place. I politely asked Terrenzo  why he could not let me have the glory of leading into T2 after dragging him and Rasmus for much of the last 28 miles.  It was a rhetorical question, but he answered me anyway, by running away from me after transitioning like a banshee.

Out on the run course in sixth place, I felt good about my prospects for holding a money spot.  I have done some very strong IM-prep runs, and I knew that a steadily paced half marathon would treat me well.  I’m not sure what my pace was at the outset of the run, but I was sure that my left quad seemed to be on fire – just the left medial quad – while the rest of my muscles felt a “normal” post-ride fatigue.  Assuming that my left leg had loaded up an inordinate amount, due to the unbalanced riding into the cross/headwind for 28 miles, I did my best to even out the stride and run a steady, strong race.

Without warning and without explanation, nearing the five-mile mark, my left calf exploded with an unpleasant strain.  At the time, I was not sure why it had happened, or what had caused it.  I stopped running, tried to massage the area, and attempted to continue running.  Very shortly thereafter I had to stop again, this time to stretch, massage, and stretch again.  No luck.  I stopped again, and began to walk.  By this time, I had been passed for seventh, and still had a sizable gap to 8th and 9th (running together); and there was a decent gap to the remainder of the men’s field.  However, it appeared that my race was over.

I struggled along with walk/ jog until I spotted a friend on course – Amanda’s coach Derick, actually.  I stopped and chatted to him, and let him know that I was no longer in the race, but that I was going to keep on plugging along if I could.  From that point onward, I was able to watch a steady stream of competitors run past me (women, men, professional and age group).

To be honest, I knew that my calf strain was bad enough to stop racing, to stop pushing; but my hope was that the calf would not be further damaged if I continued along at a jogging pace.  Without accessing the push-off phase of the run, I felt that the “heel running” might even loosen up the strain/ knot.  Whether or not this was a good decision, I’ll never know.  And whether or not I should have stopped and taken the DNF, I’ll never know.  What I do know is that by finishing the run, I was able to keep piece of mind that I finished what I started, and that I did not quit, despite having to drastically change the goals with which I started the day.  Sometimes, that’s what racing is all about: adjustment and perseverance.

Looking back at how the race went, I am still very positive in some regards.  I was able to test myself on the swim and bike, and, in my eyes, I passed the test: my early-season swim/ bike fitness is in a great place.  Another positive that came from the experience was that I got a swift kick in the pants to get back into my regular gym routine.  I had been consistently swimming, biking, and running since arriving in Austin; but my gym work had slipped by, for no good reason.  I know that my body responds very well to consistent and light gym work, to keep it in balance (mostly), and to keep me from getting injured.  I neglected this small piece of the puzzle, and my assessment of the calf injury is that without my tuned-up and balanced body, I was unable to handle the strain that came from a few seemingly minor variables (i.e., uneven riding in the wind, car drive before the race, first race of the year, and even lack of arch support in new cycling shoes).
The obvious negative that came from the race was that I have now suffered a set-back to my training and racing plan.  I have been receiving extensive PT and rehab here in Austin, and by all accounts my muscle strain was only a 1 or 2 on the scale of 1-10. The prognosis is good, and the hope is that with 7-10 days of rehab/ easy running, I should be back to 100%.  In line with that hope, my aim is to forge ahead with swim and bike training knowing that my body will rebound nicely with a few missed run sessions.  The beauty of having trained for and raced 26 Ironmans is that I have a lot of built-in training in my body.  My Ironman prep may well be right on track, but only time will tell!

In summary, I am looking forward to a strong and successful race season, and I know that my body will rebound quickly enough to enable my best racing to date.  And getting through another rough go in Galveston was rewarding on many levels, not the least of which was being called “old school” for sticking it out and avoiding the all-to-typical pro DNF.

Onward and upward.

Emotional reasons include, but are not limited to: a great vacation; fond memories and past experiences at the race; a great homestay; the chance to visit friends and family; a beautiful course; and even the chance to see a part of the world we’ve never seen.  These are all strong reasons, but they are not based in the realm of  rational decision making.

The rational reasons include: timing; ease of travel; type of course suiting the strengths of  the athlete; for pros, return on investment; and how the event aids in the progression toward a goal, or progression of the season.

Sometimes it’s OK to make the emotional call – especially for most age group athletes – but sometimes the only way for a pro to decide is by following a rationally laid-out plan.

After finally making my late spring migration to Austin, I have fallen right into a nice training rhythm. I am working hard, resting well, and enjoying the groove I’m finding. My original plan was to shut down the training early next week, to pack up, and to head out to Oceanside to race the Cal 70.3.  My reasons for choosing this race were as follows: I always start the year in O’side; I love visiting Southern Cal; I have so much fun catching up with my friends there; we have a great homestay – thanks Roch & Heather!; we love eating at Pipe’s and the Potato Shack after the race; I have done fairly well in the event formerly known as Ralph’s; and ever since 2001 when I raced it as an IM, it sure feels like a short day on that course!  There are other reasons, for sure, but it’s pretty clear the list is rife with emotional components.  All good, but not all that wise.

As I type away, it becomes obvious to me that a more rational approach would be smart. So I’m challenging myself to start a list of reasons to skip this event, and to find a replacement.  My list is here: I want a race that will be similar to IM Texas – flatter, windier, fast competition, and a bit of heat, humidity and wind; I want a race I can drive to; I want another week of training before I race; and I still want that same stacked field to push me to race hard and fast.  Looking at my criteria, I have settled on the 70.3 US Championships at Galveston.

It’s official, I’m making good choices, and it feels alright.  Galveston Island, here I come; and Manhole Cover Pancakes, I hope to see you next year!

After a solid month of training in January – which I spent consistently plugging away from Lovato Home Base, Boulder version – I plunged into a month of travel and commitments: HRTC Training Weekend in Houston, REV3 Tri Costa Rica (camp, clinic, commentary, announcing, etc.), followed by the Solvang Triathlon Camps weeklong training stint in CA. Interspersed therein I flew back and forth from the ATX to the BCO, and later drove back to Texas via Albuquerque. My past four weeks have been… busy.

Although my training has been quite good, it’s gone in mini-blocks for the past four weeks. Logging four to five days in a row broken by a few days of work/ coaching/ travel/ etc. has made for a lack of true consistency. The only streak I have managed to keep alive is my new-found commitment to logging back-to-back swim week (after week, after week, after week).

And now that I am in Austin, I am starting my training AGAIN!

Starting again really just means that I am moving into a phase of training that will be characterized by a new set of markers; I’ll be doing more race-specific workouts, and I’ll be more consistently tied to my need for day-to-day recovery, and proper in-session fueling. And for this reason, I am writing this blog update: it becomes increasingly more important to tend to the details of nutrition.

Although each of us has a different set of circumstances that lead us to when and why we ramp up our spring training, I am still seeing many athletes in a similar spot: motivated and ready to train. So I am taking a moment to make a few suggestions – to you and to myself!

First off, allow your body’s needs to evolve as your training progresses. In other words, pay attention to the fact that you will need different quantities and different varieties of breakfast when entering your period of consistent training. Starting out you will find yourself immensely hungry after each training session. You may find that a 90-min ride creates an appetite that normally correlates to a 3-hour ride. Be ready for that ramped up hunger, and prepare yourself by introducing a new recovery tool: Ultragen. Especially in your early weeks, the body is fighting hard to adapt to the increased training load – it’s stressed out, and needs to be treated well. I find that one or two bottles of Ultragen per day, timed within 30 minutes of a training session, aids in recovery, keeps me from getting sick, and it encourages me to make wise choices for refueling (rather than returning famished from a hard workout, pillaging the kitchen cupboards like a crazed gorilla in search of any suitable morsel of food – we’ve all done it!). Start the habit now: an Ultragen a day is what keeps the doctor away! (Note: apples need not be offended nor miffed, we still love you.)

Next, pay very close attention to hydration. Nearly all of us starts the day a touch behind on fluids. We each tend to lose two to three pounds per night of water weight, and with that deficit we can start our day at a huge disadvantage. My suggestion first thing in the morning – even before that precious cup of Joe – is to down 16oz of water. Do it, your body will thank you (but you may find yourself needing a few more trips to the John).

A third way to help your body adjust to its increased consistency of training is to begin using your fluid replacement drink outside of training sessions. A quality sports drink like EFS will do the best job of meeting your fluid and amino acids needs, and of keeping your electrolytes in balance. Mixing up some EFS for those in-between moments will help your body level out and find its equilibrium between sessions (work sessions, training sessions, or family sessions). Carry that bottle with you like you do at the expo during race week – start forming good habits now, and get that body ready to handle your efforts. Fluid replacement drinks are not just for workouts anymore.

Finally, this transition from winter training to consistent load is a great time to eliminate your lazy habits. Give yourself a drop-dead date to start tending to the little things. For many folks this means taking your vitamins daily instead of every other third Tuesday. Build the vitamins into your morning routine: a good way to do this is to pop the pills with that initial glass of water you just started drinking first thing in the morning. It works – water AND Mult-V in the tank before your oatmeal, toast, coffee, eggs, or donut.

Lastly, in reference to that last breakfast mention, try to cut out a few of the junk food regulars. It’s OK to eat these things on occasion, but notching back on the donuts a bit, and replacing them with your odd piece of fruit might be just the trick to get your system running smoothly, and to aid in dropping those final few lbs that are hanging around from the holiday weight-gain. Just think about it.

And with that, I must return to training. It’s nearly noon, and I’ve just finished my second breakie, which included a bottle of EFS, a Multi-V or three, and a large apple (see, I follow my own advice).

Onward and upward!

(Boulder, CO) February 10, 2011 – For the second year in a row, Betty Designs has partnered with Team Trakkers to create its custom racing and training kits.

Betty Designs—the established leader in custom kit designs in the triathlon world—makes its mark by creating custom race gear for everyone.

Charlie Patten, Trakkers-Rev3 Head Honcho commented, “we are very pleased to be working with Betty Designs on the creation of our pro and age group apparel. Kristin has the unique ability to create a professional look that really stands out from what is typically seen on the race course—our team looks great!”

“Working with Trakkers for a second season has been a fantastic experience. From a design perspective, the project presented a unique creative challenge—to come up with a race kit that was bold and uniquely Trakkers/Rev3, while highlighting key sponsors,” stated Kristin Mayer of Betty Designs.  “This design then had to be individualized with colors, motifs and individual sponsor logos for specific pro athletes,” she added.

The relationship between Betty Designs and Team Trakkers allows each pro to train and race in the team uniform, while maintaining their own personality and brand.

Pro team member Chris “Big Sexy” McDonald commented that “this year I loved having my kit custom designed by Betty Designs. It has bought my look to a new professional level and Kristin was a breeze to work with. She has come up with a look that brings a little of me into the design.”

Hillary Biscay agreed: “I am so excited to finally have my very own Betty Designs race kit. I’ve always loved Kristin’s flair and am fired up to finally have some of it on my kit! She does beautiful work!”

About Betty Designs: Kristin has been a freelance graphic designer in the endurance sports industry since 1996. Aside from designing kick-ass race kits and product graphics, she can also help you take your brand to the next level with logo design, catalogs, advertising, t-shirts, event graphics and much more.

About Team Trakkers—REV3: A unique team comprised of eleven world-class professionals, and 39 age groups athletes, its mission is to promote and help grow the Revolution3 Triathlon brand; to gain exposure for the world’s first real-time GPS tracking devices; to represent triathlon’s strongest brands; and to compete at multiple events over varied distances, at triathlon series worldwide.

Visit  www.bettydesigns.com and www.rev3tri.com and www.trakkersgps.com

Press Release: 2011 Trakkers—Revolution3 Racing Team

(Boulder, CO) January 25, 2011 – The 2011 Trakkers-REV3 Racing Team returns with new athletes, new sponsors, and a new mission.

After a successful first season, Team Trakkers begins the New Year by revitalizing its relationship with the Revolution3 Triathlon Series, which now supports the team as its co-Title sponsor.  Presenting sponsors include both Kestrel Bicycles and First Endurance, who return this year to support the 11-person professional team and 39-member amateur squad.

New partners for 2011 are industry-leading companies, AVIA (footwear), TYR (wetsuits, speedsuits), and Canari (apparel).

“The Revolution3 Team is overjoyed at the opportunity to be a sponsor of such high-class professional athletes.  Their determination and drive to succeed motivate each and every one of us at Rev3.  Our goal is to push the sport of Triathlon forward and we hope our commitment to this group of athletes shows that we take this growth seriously.  We cannot wait to see them at the Rev3 races this year,” said Charlie Patten, Head Honcho of the Revolution3 Triathlon Series

“Kestrel is excited to be part of the Trakkers-REV3 Triathlon Team,” said Steven Harad, Kestrel Brand Manager.  “This is our second year with the Trakkers team and with the addition of many top level athletes, we are looking forward to a successful season.”

“First Endurance is pleased and honored to be associated with this high caliber team of athletes and sponsors,” stated Robert Kunz, the VP of Science and Technology at FE. “All of the athletes will be using the entire system of First Endurance products, and more importantly they will have influence and input on our new product development, allowing us to keep producing and upgrading our line so it remain the best on the market.”

In addition to the changes in sponsorship, the team roster has grown and evolved. Returning members—Richie Cunningham, Brian Fleischmann, Jacqui Gordon, Amanda Lovato, and Michael Lovato—welcome new athletes, Hillary Biscay, Courtenay Brown, Kathleen Calkins, Chris McDonald, Jessica Meyers, and Matt Sheeks.

With a refreshed athlete roster and its committed sponsors, Team Trakkers—REV3 begins the 2011 race season with an evolved mission: to promote and help grow the Revolution3 Triathlon brand; to gain exposure for the world’s first real-time GPS tracking devices; to represent triathlon’s strongest brands; and to compete at a world-class level over varied distances, at multiple triathlon series worldwide.

“We had a great year in 2010, but our aim is to improve across the board, as we go forward,” stated Michael Lovato.  “To evolve in a positive direction, we have partnered with key sponsors who are committed to the sport of triathlon, to its growth, and to its athletes.  We could not be happier with our group of sponsors, or with our recharged roster of athletes.”

The full professional team includes:

Hillary Biscay:  2008 Ironman Wisconsin Champion; 15-time top-three Ironman finisher

Courtenay Brown: Danskin Tri & Silverman Half winner; Inside Tri columnist

Kathleen Calkins: 2010 REV3 Cedar Point 3^rd place; Top Amateur Kona 2009

Richie Cunningham: 2x 70.3 Champion; 4x Top-Five 70.3 World Championships

Brian Fleischmann: 1^st World Team Champs; 2x 2^nd place USAT National Champs

Jacqui Gordon: Multiple Ironman and 70.3 Top-Ten finisher

Amanda Lovato: 2010 Pucón 70.3 Champion; Multiple Half Ironman Champion; Multiple Top-Five Ironman finisher

Michael Lovato: 2x Ironman Champion; 3x Top-Ten Kona; 3x National Champion

Chris McDonald: 3x Ironman Champion

Jessica Meyers: 2010 Augusta 70.3 Champ; US National Team; Armed Services Champion

Matt Sheeks: 2010 Duathlon Pro National Champion; 2009 Duathlon AG World Champion

Question #1: What made me chose to race IM Cozumel?

The answer is a long and multifaceted one, but for the sake of brevity – something I normally ignore – I’ll sum it up by saying that I really wanted to close out 2010 with a competition.  Despite completing the Ironman in Hawaii, I did not compete in it.  I was never in the mix, and I did not ever get the fix of racing the other athletes.  I did have a few chances to battle it out on course, but in the grand scheme of things, I did not get my competitive fix. Fortunately, Amanda and I had already talked about both of us racing Cozumel – back in July – so the trip and race had been on the back burner for quite some time. When she opted out of racing, it only made sense for us to keep the event on the calendar, and to just swap roles of supporter and athlete.  And in the end, my goal of getting one more competition for the year was accomplished – and it sure was satisfying!

Question #2: Where Kona Pro Ranking (KPR) points on my mind when I chose to race Cozumel?

It would be wrong to say that I did not care about grabbing a few points – points are points, and we all need to amass enough to find our way into the top fifty by next July.  However, I can truly say that my decision to race in Mexico was not driven by Kona qualification.  My schedule for 2011 will not change based on the points I acquired in Cozumel.  I will race Rev 3, I will race an early Ironman, and I will race some 70.3 events.  These races were on the calendar regardless of my KPR standing.

Question #3: How did I bridge the gap from Kona to Cozumel?

With only seven weeks between the two Ironmans, it was very important to play my training cards right.  My body was still very beat up after Kona, and I needed to take that recovery very seriously.   I knew that I was in great shape, so all I really wanted to do was hit a couple key workouts to maintain that fitness, and perhaps boost up my top-end a bit.  I really wanted to avoid getting too beat up, knowing that Ironman recovery has a way of sticking around much longer than we think it does.  So what did I do?  Well, after the first week of barely moving, I did four weeks of 15-17 hours of training. My main focus was on logging a lot of time in the pool – a great place to boost fitness with little impact on the body.  I did two long runs of 16 miles, and I did two long rides of 4 hrs to 4 hrs 30.  And I punched out a couple of high-intensity sessions on the CycleOps PowerBeam Pro.  Those were geared toward pushing the LT up a bit, so I could handle a higher pace on the bike in Mexico.  Aside from my  big push in the swim, most of the training was very “light” by pro Ironman training standards, but I felt that it was a truly effective way to bridge the gap.

Question #4: How did you like that Kestrel 4000 with the Zipp Firecrest 808′s?

The answer to this question should be short and sweet: I loved my set-up for Cozumel – it was the fastest ride around!  But to dive further in, I will rewind to about five weeks before the race.  I was accompanying Amanda to a Retul fit with Mat Steinmetz here in Boulder.  She was getting positioned on her new 4000, and I was there to observe.  Or was I?  I had a few questions for Mat, and one question lead to another, which lead to me signing up for my own Retul fit.  For some odd reason, it took me a long time to get dialed in on my bikes this year.  I had some fast bike splits, but never seemed to be getting the most out of my ensuing runs.  I felt there was something off.  Mat determined, with one quick glance, that my saddle appeared to be too low. Once he took a few snapshots with the Retul, he determined that I could stand to move my seat height up, a lot.  So we went ahead and raised it (about 1.2 cm).  We compensated for the significant saddle height adjustment by raising the front end, too.  He wanted to keep my hip angle open, so we pushed the ISM Adamo Racing seat all the way forward on the rails, to allow me to achieve a more forward position.  We made some pretty drastic changes to my set-up, and Mat cautioned me to take things slowly as I adapted to what we did.  I informed him that I didn’t have much time to take things slowly – with an Ironman in five weeks, I had to get right after it. I joked with Mat that I’d fully blame him if I did not have a good bike ride in Cozumel, but that I would give him all the credit if I rode well.  So with that in mind, I’d like to attribute my 4:30 bike split (for those 114 windy miles) to Mat’s brilliant fit techniques, and his masterful use of the Retul.  Thank you, Mat.  (I hope none of my competitors see you in 2011!)

Question #5:  What does 2011 have in store for you?

The plan right now is to travel to as many REV3 races as I can. I’ll probably be supporting Amanda at those events, and will likely do some commentary for those races. I really love what that series is doing, and enjoy being a part of its growth. In fact, the REV3 series will be coming on as a main sponsor of our Trakkers Team, so look for all of our athletes to be targeting those events more seriously.  As for my own racing, I am planning on hitting a couple half irons in the spring, with the new Ironman in Texas being a first-half focus of mine.  At this point, I’ll be in Costa Rica for REV3, Puerto Rico and St. Croix for 70.3, and the Woodlands in May for IM.  The next trip will be to Quassy, where I plan to cover the event, hopefully with others of the Trakkers Team.   My season focus will be Kona, once again, and I look forward to getting back there for the 12th time, and to notching my best finish ever.  Stay tuned for the full 2011 schedule to be updated soon.

Thanks for checking in on my end-of-season recap.  Please go to the contact page of my website to submit questions for next month’s Q&A feature!

We arrived on Tuesday morning, after a short and stress-free travel. Getting here from Austin is quite easy, and remaining in the Central Time Zone was a nice perk that helped with a quick adaptation to Mexican Time.  We had a lot going on prior to traveling south of the border, including good, bad, happy, tough, stressful, tiring, and even trying events.  We checked into our hotel – Fiesta Americana (yes, that’s right) -  relieved it was time to buckle down and take a serious siesta.  The siesta lasted for most of the first two days.

In addition to napping away the first part of our week, we acquainted ourselves with the hotel’s three delicious restaurants, we did a touch of training to get the body moving, and we settled into the slower rhythm we both craved. Amanda was instumental in wrangling me in, slowing me down, and setting me into a great pattern of resting and refreshing.  She also managed to help me refrain from overdoing it at every trip to the buffet. (BIG gracias there!)

By Thursday I was ready to do some Ironman fine tuning.  I got my first true taste of the Cozumel humidity on a morning run, and followed it up with a gorgeous ocean swim, while Amanda guided me in her kayak past snorkel-fed diver-types and their transport boats. The bright blue Caribbean waters were absolutely perfect.  To cap off the day, I rode one loop of the bike course with Amanda escorting me on our rented scooter. Love the moto! (Not the mota.)  With a full day of training in the books, I was feeling very ready to race, and we treated ourselves to one of many scrumptious fish taco feasts.

By race morning, I was starting to reap the rewards of my five-day decompress from the outside world.  The stresses of the prior week were a distant memory, my siestas had rejeuvenated me properly, and I was anxious to get out on course and race against a top-class field (the men’s field alone boasted 14 Ironman titles).

We scooted our way down to the swim start to arrive at a typically relaxed – but organized – transition area.  Setting up the Kestrel 4000 was a painless and smooth task. We pros each had our own transition “tower” to hold our individual rigs. There was no jostling for position, that is, until we got into the water.

We were graciously afforded about 7 minutes of warm-up time prior to the start of the race.  Normally it takes me 15-20 mintes to get my arms fully swinging, so I was a bit anxious to find a great spot with the quicker swimmers.  Andy Potts and Amanda Stevens both fit the bill, so I did my best to wedge myself between them and the lifeguard who was there to contain us.  When the gun sounded, I got a great jump with the others.  Over the last four weeks, I put a lot of time into the water, as I felt it would give me a nice advantage to exit the swim a bit fresher – and closer to Andy – than I had in Kona.

Rounding the first turn buoy, I let a gap open up between me and the feet belonging to Steve Bayliss or Amanda.  Either way, I was pleased to be dragged away from the likes of Sturla, Beke, and Galindez (and the others!).  I swam completely solo for a long 2800 meters or so, before linking up with Dede as we came around the final buoy. Exiting the water in 49 minutes meant I couldn’t be too far down, but that perhaps the swim was a tad short as well!

Onto the bike I felt comfortable and strong immediately.  Having not felt in control of my ride in the last two races, I was very happy to final have the opportunity to let loose on those pedals and move my sleek 4000 down the road.  Beofre long I had caught Amanda – thanks for dropping me in the water – and continued to roll through the field.  By the end of lap 1, I moved into what I assumed was second place to Andy.

At approximately 60 or 65 miles, I found company from behind in the form of my good friend Eduardo Sturla.  He had and I have a strange habit of exchanging the lead with one another each time we face each other in Kona. He’s a great guy, and is one strong athlete.  Rather than watch him ride away into the distance as he normally does in Kona, I chose rather to apply a bit more pressure to the pedals, with little regard to the power numbers flashing on my Power Tap. (From the outset of this bike ride, I knew I wanted to compete rather than pace myself; I had nothing to lose, and I watned to get as much out of myself as I could on that ride.)

Eduardo allowed me to take the lead for another 20 miles or so before he took charge again, and made the pass.  He served as a brilliant carrot for me on the back side of the island, where crosswinds and bumby roads can try the patience of a rider 90 miles into a bike ride.  Sturla kept me honest, and the appearance of another South American stud, Oscar Galindez, gave me ample cause to keep the cadence ticking over.

By the time we entered the final 12-km stretch of  road – a long, strangely straight bit of highway with a tailwind – I was again ready to let drop the hammer. I came back around to the front to see if I could reel in that lone wolf up the road. As it turned out, I did reel him in, but he was no lone wolf!  Another rider – Balzas Csoke – was accompanying Potts in his charge.  At the front of my Argentine sandwich, I made the move to pass Potts.  My only hope was that he had drained the tank a bit more than I had, and that we’d have an evenly matched marathon. Knowing that any one of the top five off the bike could take the win – or that any number of the fleet-footed runners behind could sweep through – I prepared myself for a hard run race.

(Does anyone need a breather from this race report?)

Entering transition with four others is exhilerating. And getting off the bike after 114 hard miles is satisfying.  (Yes, we got the pleasure of doing 2.3 extra miles out there on the highways.)

Out on the three-loop run course, I told myself that the smartest runner would win the day. I told myself that 2:52 or 2:54 would take the top step of the podium.  I told myself I’d be that guy, but only if I let the rabbits go early. My fastest marathons off the bike have come with the “out hard” technique, but only in cooler temps. The smoke-em-while-you-got-em tactics can come back to haunt you when it’s hot and humid; and my best marathons in the heat have been evenly split.  Plan at the outset: let Potts and company burn out their engines early, and I’ll pick up the pieces with only k’s to go. Plan with k’s to go: pick up my own pieces and finish as strong as I can!

Midway through the run I started to feel the effects of the heat, the humidy, the efforts of the bike, and/ or the toll of a long sesaon. It all came, along with other tidy challenges, but it did not come unexpectedly.  It’s Ironman, and tackling whatever crazy challenge comes your way on race day is exactly why we do this.  At least it is for me.

Whether the challenge is mental, physical, external, internal, intestinal, or aesthetic(al), we all run into a hurdle that wants to crack us.  Whether or not we crack is the only question; whether or not we push on is all that counts.

With each painful step in the final ten miles, Andy drew gradually further and further away.  The short time where the splits were shrinking in my favor was long gone. I was going to finish second, as long as Edurado did not catch me!

To neglect to mention the unbelievable crowd support would be an absolute travesty. With pretty much every road closed to vehicles, I would estimate that 90% of the residents came out to cheer for every Ironman athlete on course.  With three laps on both bike and run, we had ample opportunity to draw from that amazing energy.

In the closing miles of the marathon – after cruelly mistaking a 25K sign for the 25 MILE sign – I squeezed every bit of energy out of my body.  I crossed the line five or six minutes after Andy, which told me that, in fact, the 2:52- 2:54 I had predicted would do, did take the win.  Andy’s gamble to go out strong paid big dividends, and he was a deserving champion on the day.  I finished second, and was very pleased to have done so. The effort I put out on the  day could not have been much better, and to add to the 1-2 American sweep was a wonderful bonus.  Not long after crossing the line – and plopping down on the floor – mi buen amigo, Eduardo finished third. (See you next year, my friend.)

As we knew we would from nearly the first moment we arrived in Mexico, Amanda and I had a wonderful time in Cozumel.  The pre- and post- race relaxing was incredible, and the race was a first-class experience.  And although we do not know our entire race schedule for next year, we know we want to cap off the season with una siesta, una carrera, y una margarita en Mexico!

And a special thanks to the incredible supporters of Team Lovato. We could not have done it without you all: Charlie at Trakkers, Steven at Kestrel, Robert at First Endurance, Jack at Jack & Adam’s, Saucony, Zipp, Oakley, Blueseventy, CycleOps Power, NormaTec, T3 Recovery Products, Headsweats, Justin’s and Monkey Brains!

Thanks for the support before, during and after the race.

Arriving in Kona I truly felt I had put in some of my best preparation.  I trained sensibly, and I paid close attention to a few details that I had left untouched in recent years.  I.e., I spent a fair amount of time in Austin, acclimating my body to high doses of humidity, as well as moderately high temperatures.  The time I spent at sea level in September was a nice complement to the strength-based altitude training I had done in Boulder in August.  I was feeling fresh, motivated, and hungry to find my way back into the top ten in Kona.  I knew that if I performed to my potential that my strength and experience could land me on the top half of the podium.  In short: I was ready to race.

The time I spent in Kona pre-race was all business.  Amanda was not able to travel with me, as she was attending her High School Sports Hall of Fame Induction in Maryland.  I knew that I would be missing a key element of my Hawaii routine, so I did my best to minimize outside distractions. She always keeps me on-task, but this time around,  I managed to put my head down as I topped off the final preparation.

Race day started at 3:30AM with my customary jog down Ali’i.  I typically notch about ten minutes of slow running first thing in the morning, just prior to breakfast. This has always been a great way for me to wake the body, to shake off the initial nerves, and to get out and feel the Kona air.  I do love that jog.

As I sipped my Ultragen smoothie and downed a cup of black coffee, I made use of Skype – and all its wonder – to video chat with Amanda.  She got me fired up, by sharing with me some of the inspiration she normally gives me out on the run course.  I was amped and ready to move.

I arrived at transition to pump my tires and place my food and drinks onboard.  I found my Kestrel 4000 sitting alone, lacking all of the cameras of prior years (evidently I lost a bit of pre-race hype by finishing in 535th last year!).  Zipp had hooked me up with some of their sweet new Firecrest 808 wheels, and I have to admit, they really made the race rig look sweet.  When all is said and done, I’m still duly impressed by a fine looking machine.  It did not take long to get everything loaded up: helmet + Oakleys on the bars, Jetstream filled, Bento Box chalk-full, tires aired, and shoes on pedals.

With that done, I made my way to my pre-race sanctuary: my massage therapist Kris’ hotel room.  Doing my best to stick with all the rote activities of years past, knowing that the familiarity would keep away any unneeded stress.  Before I knew it, it was time to head to the water.

My mom and Bob were the only family representatives of Team Lovato on-hand, and I was grateful to have them present. My mom pointed out that she had been in attendance at each of my Ironman wins, so that must be a good omen.

I jumped in the water at 6:10, which gave me 20 minutes to wake up my swim muscles.  A major focus of my training this year has been geared toward raising my game in the water, so I would have little trouble exiting the water with the lead group of swimmers. My focus, especially through July, was unparalleled for me, and I was hoping to make use of my new swim prowess.  I did not.

After getting out very well for the first several hundred meters, I found myself in what I thought was the middle of the main pack.  But evidently I had been moved to the back of said pack, which tends to be a dangerous position. Despite giving what I thought was enough to stick in for the duration, I let my fate be decided by another swimmer who dropped off the feet of the back-of-the-pack folks.  We were left to dangle, and despite my attempts to bridge back up, I was mostly on my own.  After hearing the significant time split to the contenders, I could not have been more disappointed in my swim performance.  However, I am not a newcomer to sub-par swims, so I was able to quickly dispatch the memory as I moved onto the bike ride.

Out on course, I was quickly passed by Norman Stadler, and a few others of my competitors came by. My typical plan is to chase those of the strong bike/ slower swim crew, in an attempt to bridge up to the lead groups.  Having followed that plan to various levels of success, this year I chose to race my own race, with an attempt to dole out an even effort throughout the 112 miles. I am new to training and racing with power, but I figured I’d set myself up for solid day if I listed to what my PowerTap was telling me.  So rather than race the guys around me, I raced within myself for the next several miles.  Looking back I think this was a tactical error.  To remove myself from the competition around me, and to not take advantage of the drive that comes with it was a mistake.  However, at the time I truly felt that I was making a sound decision.

On the climb to Hawi, I paired up with Chris “Big Sexy” McDonald, a strong athlete and friend of mine. I followed his lead up to Hawi, thinking that the two of us could give one another a nice mental push to the end of the ride. In a strange but welcome turn of events, I found myself taking the lead on the downhill section from Hawi (normally down hills are a weakness of mine).  While much of the ride was characterized by mild winds, we had some decent crosswinds (nothing like the days of old, but something!).  Heading back onto the highway, Big Sexy took the lead again. We were later joined by Hell on Wheels Helriegel, who appeared to be pushing the gears of old.  Pleased to have a mini-group for a while, I was left to push the pedals and tend to what was amounting to a perfectly executed hydration and fueling plan.  BIG thanks to First Endurance for making the best products around!

Coming off the bike, I had lost a minute or two to my former partners.  Riding solo at the end of the day is fine with me, as it gives me the ability to truly assess how my legs are doing, and whether or not I need to top off, stretch, gear up or spin the legs.  In this case – and after notching a much slower bike time than I was capable of doing  -  I really felt ready to run my best marathon.

Transition felt great. Sometimes it feels like death warmed over, but today was great.  I felt quick and ready to roll!

After taking the first  mile and a half to ease into the marathon – while sipping a bottle of water – I settled into a nice rhythm.  My goal was to even split or negative split the run. My last good marathon in Kona – a 2:52 – was run with matching 1:26 splits. The plan always seems smart when I have ground to make up – and I had A LOT of ground to make up.  My past top-ten performances have always come after entering T2 in 18-22 place, with ten or so minutes down to the 10th place guy.  I usually play my cards right, and take advantage of the conditions smoking out those who went out too fast.  But this was not my “usual” day.

I got through the first nine miles in town feeling very comfortable, and controlled.  I focused on fueling, pacing and nutrition.  I was noticing that the others up the road were in one hell of a battle, and seeing the competition without being in it was tough. I kept my mind in the game, and began to push a bit more, just after cresting Palani.

At that moment I was feeling pretty confident that I was still going to run a solid marathon, despite my sub-par bike and swim showings.

Shortly thereafter, I found myself engaged in a battle with my own quads.  This can be completely normal for an Ironman run: pushing through that quad burn is the thing that all true Ironman athletes thrive on – at least I would wager that most all of them do.  It comes at various points of the run, depending on the particular race. Sometimes it hits early, sometimes it’s near the end; however, when it comes, those who love Ironman enjoy pushing into that feeling.

This time around my push was there and my pain was there, but my pace was not lining up.  I did a quick rundown of my calories and liquid count: did I need more? Was I bonking?  It did not seem likely, so I only made minor adjustments.  I kept the pressure on, but as the pain increased, the pace did not reciprocate.  And it was way too early to be experiencing this sort of downward spiral.

My mile splits fell way off, despite my internal gauge telling me they were staying the same – or even improving.  I began to get discouraged, and to further that disdain, I crossed paths with the top ten runners way too early on the highway.  They were really drilling the pace, and there looked to be none of the major blow-ups that characterize this race.  While maintaining my own efforts to finish as quickly as I could, I took a small bit of energy to holler at some of my fellow competitors who were in the thick of battle.  Not how I like to engage in the competition, but it was all I could do.

Somewhere within the Energy Lab, I found a bit more speed, but the paces were still nothing to scream about.  I was pushing the best I could, and I was seeing a few folks who seemed to be catchable.  Motivation was still strong to keep the pressure on.  I hoped that the zip I was missing all day would find me, and give me a boost down that final 8 miles.

It turned out that all I had left was a little more of the same.  Making the final climb of the day, and just prior to the final quad-pummeling downhill, I upped the ante one more time.  I had to see if I could work every bit out of myself.  I may not have been doing my best time – far from it, in fact – but it would not be for lack of effort.

Finishing the race is always an amazing satisfaction: after great days (like ’08), really bad days (like ’09), and average days (like this one). I soaked up as much of the Ali’i Drive energy as I could.  That stretch of road is exactly why athletes yearn to race in Kona.  That stretch of road can give so much satisfaction.

In an attempt to answer the ever-present question of why my race was not on par with what I had expected to do, I come up a bit empty handed.  I can definitely say that I made a few key tactical errors – on the swim and bike – that might have made a difference in my overall outcome. However, those errors only contributed to the result, whereas something else was just as culpable.  That something?  It was just one of those days.  We all experience the sometimes dramatic swing in performance from our best training sessions to our worst. We analyze and calculate and obsess, but we never can pinpoint the why.  And maybe sometimes we shouldn’t.  In our races, sometimes we have it, and sometimes we don’t.  Scientists and engineers don’t like this answer, but the liberal art folks can latch right on.  I don’t speak French, but I believe I just lacked a certain je ne sais quoi.

On a day where the conditions were amazing, the level of competition was outstanding, and so many athletes pushed themselves to incredible performances, I congratulate all of my competitors. To those of you who had sub-par days, congrats on sticking it out, and hang in there: we’ll be back!

Pop Musician Howie Day to Perform at 1^st Annual Kona Concert Series during Ironman Week

(Kona, Hawaii) October 1, 2010 – Race week during the Ironman World Championships in Kona bustles with activity of nervous athletes, triathlon brands showcasing their hottest products and traditional pre-race meetings and logistics. This year, famed solo ‘pop’ artist Howie Day will break up the customary week activities by performing at the 1^st Annual GU Kona Concert Series, hosted by the Sheraton Keauhou Bay Resort & Spa along with a group of leading industry triathlon companies. The event will be held Wednesday, Oct 6, from 6-9pm at the Sheraton Keauhou Bay’s private, outdoor Hawaii Lawn overlooking the Pacific Ocean.

Mitch Thrower, Co-Founder of Active.com and former Co-Owner of Triathlete Magazine, will emcee the evening at which many pro athletes will also be in attendance, in particular two-time Ironman World Champion, Craig Alexander, who has traditionally called the Sheraton ‘home’ for him and his sponsors.

“I am hoping that the Kona Concert Series becomes an annual event, providing a unique and fun atmosphere for Ironman attendees, competitors, and industry leaders – BUT we also realize that it’s race week and we respect the need for the competitors to get to sleep at a reasonable time, thus the music will only go until 9pm,” said Franko Vatterott, of the Human Interest Group and one of the event organizers.

While the concert is billed as a free event, the organizers request that tickets are reserved in advance. Tickets are available through a select group of industry companies and media sources: GU, Saucony, Tri Grand Prix, TYR, Scott Bikes, Athlete’s Honey Milk, TriSports.com and BUMP.com.

There are still tickets available.  You can contact the GU Kona Concert Series partners via their on-island locations or through their FACEBOOK hyperlinks below:

GU: GU Energy Labs

The booth out front
78-6622 Alii Drive

Saucony: Saucony

Tri Grand Prix: Tri Grand Prix

TYR: TYRSPORT

TYR House
75-5954 Alii Drive

Athletes Honey Milk: Athletes Milk

BUMP.com – BUMP.com

Human Interest Group: The Human Interest Group

For more Info on Howie Day, visit: http://www.howieday.com or listen to sample songs:        Collide and She Says

For more information or other questions, please contact info@humaninterestgroup.org

About Sheraton Keuhou Bay Resort & Spa

The Sheraton Keauhou Bay Resort & Spa is no stranger to servicing its unique demographic of guests during the busiest week of the year in Kailua-Kona; Ironman World Championships week. Home to the two-time and reigning Ironman World Champion Craig Alexander as well as his team of sponsors, the Sheraton Keauhou Bay has been actively engaging Ironman competitors to stay at the 521 room, 22 acre luxury resort the past few years and is sold out for the latter part of race week for the 2nd year in a row.  For more info, visit: http://www.sheratonkeauhou.com/

We arrived on Thursday which gave us plenty of time to check out the swim and bike courses before race day.  We were both quite impressed by the challenging terrain in the Branson area.  It did not take long to realize that the outcome of the race would be determined on that bike course!

After two fun days (and nights) cruising the strip, and taking note of Cooter’s shop and the General Lee (oh yes, Dukes of Hazzard fans, it’s true), race day arrived.

We were informed that we’d be wearing wetsuits on the day, something that brought me a bit of joy and pain.  With the water as warm as it was, I knew I would be suffering through the toasty 1.2 miles; however, I awkwardly found myself without a legal swimskin for non-wetsuit swims, so I would have been forced to race truly old-school in nothing but my briefs (go Splish!).

As predicted, I blew sky high after overheating approximately 500 meters into the swim. Something uniquely painful and debilitating seems to happen to me once I overheat in the water: arms go numb and start to flop about uselessly. (At least that is how it feels.)  Exiting the water (finally!), I admit that I was forced to walk up the stairs and toward my transition spot (where had all my short-course speed from the Austin Tri gone?!).  The time slowly making my way to my rack, allowed me to overcome my pathetic overheating incident.  I was regrouping and ready to ride.

Out on the bike course, we athletes were faced with about 1/8 of a mile down hill (if that) before biting right into the meaty part of the bike course.  The first seven miles seemed to be mostly uphill, followed by about eight more of up and down and up and down.  What a gorgeous and challenging ride!

Soon after boarding my smoking hot Kestrel 4000 – but prior to emerging from the thick fog – I found myself bunched up with TJ Tollakson. I figured he and I could motivate one another to catch back up to the leading group.  There were some strong cyclists in the field (Tom and Ben, among others), and we did not want to be left behind.  My plan did not exactly come to fruition, as my legs decided they had a) not gotten enough rest before the race, b) not gotten enough warm up yet, or c) not gotten enough fuel pumped in yet.  In any case – and due to any combo of the above reasons – my new plan seemed to be watching TJ (and the others) ride away and leave me for dead.

Around mile 18 – and still with hopes that at least one member of Team Lovato was crushing those hills – I looked ahead to see an athlete on the side of the road; sadly, she was clad in Trakkers green.  Yes, Amanda was sidelined with her second flat tire.  I weaved to the far left side of the road (we were generously given the entire road for our race) to see if she was OK.  She waved me on and told me she’d cheer for me.  (Had I been hoping she’d have been inviting me to a roadside picnic?)

Never a good feeling to be left behind, and certainly never a good feeling to be caught up (by a high-flying Kelly Williamson, no less), I did my best to salvage the day.  And I did what came naturally:  I ate and I drank.  Over the course of the next ten or twenty miles, I downed nearly all of my EFS Liquid Shot and scarfed both of my milky way bars.  I sucked down 300 calories of EFS, and two bottles of water. I even went through my emergency stash.  I kept thinking (hoping) that the calories would work some magic on my quads, and I’d be able to turn things around. Eventually, with about two miles to go on the bike ride, I started to feel OK.  Maybe I needed to ride another one of those brutally hilly bike laps? (Although while still tackling said bike laps, all I wanted to do was stop on the side of the road for a small picnic.)

Based on my past experience (this was not my first time to feel sluggish and slow on the bike), I figured I could turn a mediocre start into a solid finish.  Riding a bit slower – and fueling up to the max – generally equates to a strong run split.  A final ingredient was the burning desire I had upon reaching transition to CATCH BACK UP!

I transitioned quickly to my run shoes – donning a bright yellow pair of Saucony Fasttwich – and I did so Richie-style (no socks).  I learned a trick or two in last year’s assault on the 70.3 distance.  I am now one of the quicker T2-ers.  (In fact, besides me only Brian “Flash” Fleischmann went sockless, I noticed during T2 set-up the night before.)  Nonetheless, I was happy to be doing something quick on the day!

Out on the run course I felt great immediately.  My only thought was that I had definitely better make my way into that top six, and then see what I could do from there.  Within the first four miles, I had overtaken TJ, and was pressing onward. I had taken stock of how far ahead the others were, and who was in or out of reach.  While Tom and Ben seemed to have a mile and a half on me (ouch!), the others seemed catchable.  (Strange aside: how funny would it have been if there was a Jerry racing with Tom and Ben?)

By the start of lap 3, I had moved into fourth position on the road.  I knew that Flash was plugging away in that final podium spot, so I did my best to outlast him.  He had been drilling it near the front of the race all day long, and I could only hope that my unintentionally conservative tactics had left me a bit more in the tank.  Fourth was good, but third would be better.

Evidently it had started to get a bit warmer, and the humidity was rising.  Folks looked to be suffering out there, but thankfully, I had just spent two weeks in the muggiest of muggy Austin Septembers, and the weather felt quite pleasant to me.  I took in an entire flask of EFS Liquid Shot, and several cups of H2O to wash it down.  I knew I’d be staying cramp free, so I kept the heat on.

Somewhere near the mile 11 mark, I started to lose faith that I’d be able to reel in Brian.  My pace was no longer in the 5:30′s or :40′s, so I figured my charge was coming to an end.  With about 400 meters to go, Amanda informed me that Flash was out of range.  But moments later, a fellow athlete who was a lap or two behind me encouraged me to “try and catch him anyway!”  What a great reminder that even when it’s not possible, don’t stop trying to make it happen.  Thanks very much, Mr. Age Grouper Guy!

Shortly after crossing the finish line in 4th, we were all informed that Brian had inadvertently missed a section of the run course.  He was DQ’d, for unintentionally shortening his half marathon.  It’s never easy to see this sort of bad luck hit a good fellow.  Brian raced hard, and in the heat of the moment, lost a tiny bit of concentration; and sadly, he missed out on his podium finish because of it. But I guarantee that my teammate will come back stronger next time.

With the race in the books, it was time to focus on a bit of recovery.  A few of us took advantage of the 50-degree fountain pond to soak our legs (something I truly believe was instrumental in leaving me without a single bit of soreness – even after notching the fastest run split of the day).  Later that afternoon, Amanda and I took our good friend Ben the Harpoon out for a nice Mexican feast, complete with recovery-speeding margaritas.  And until next year, we closed the Branson chapter of our story.

With the guidance of Ironman great (and my good friend) Paula Newby-Fraser, I set out to prepare a little bit differently this fall – and that meant adding the Austin Triathlon to my calendar of events.

Since I am now three weeks late with this report, and I still have last week’s race recap to write, I’m going to sum this one up quickly. Well, quickly for ML speak.

High Five Events and Jack and Adam’s Bicycles put on one of the best darn triathlons I have done in a long time. It’s right downtown Austin, with incredible support, great spectators, and top-notch competition. My goal of working myself over in a high-intensity “workout” race was more than achieved. I had two fast cats up the road (and up the lake) all day long, and they made me chase hard. Phil Graves and Richie Cunningham, who finished 2nd and 3rd, lead me out of the water by 10 seconds or so, gapped me further in transition, and then stayed away on the bike. In Phil’s case, he distanced himself further. Once onto the run, I quickly remembered that there is no time to warm up in a short race. Oh yeah. My effort was solid, my legs were average, and my results were right about where I expected them to be. I finished third, and chalked it up to one of my best speed workouts of the year. On to the next race…