Tag: ironman

The Rematch: Rev3 Quassy Half Iron Triathlon

10

This was my second year racing Revolution 3’s Quassy half iron distance triathlon. Last year, I finished, but ran into some issues with GI distress, and the chronic return of ITBS which plagued me all throughout last season. So, it was time for a rematch with one of the most challenging courses I’ve done to date. With thousands of feet of climbing between the bike and the run, this course is not for the weak of heart – or leg muscle. I had two primary goals this year: Be brave and finish early enough to meet Mirinda Carfrae–my favorite pro triathlete. …

Power: Weaknesses and Opportunities

3

Our next race is just one week away: Rev3 Quassy half iron distance, in Middlebury, CT on June 3. I’m super excited for this race; so far, I think it’s my favorite half-distance course, especially the bike, which I wrote about last year after doing the race for the first time. During the past week, Coach Vince and I have been working out the race plan. For the first time, I will use the information from my power meter (as well as heart rate) to execute the cycling portion of the plan. When I picked up the power meter at …

Free Speed

7

When I train, I frequently visualize different race-specific scenarios. For example, one of my favorite sequences is to imagine myself in the final miles of the marathon of the Ironman World Championships. I see myself as a quick and sure-footed athlete, as the announcers call out the blow-by-blow of my race. “Simone is looking good with less than 10k to go in this marathon; she is making her competition work for it. She is running down the first place athlete in her age group, and she’s got the time to catch her.” Ah, yes, I say visualization, but really its more …

Drinking the X-Day Kool Aid

17

Last Monday, I came into work to find a sweet treat in my mailbox that one of my former students had left as a gift. It was a homemade box, filled with homemade chocolate truffles. Each had a different type of sparkly sprinkle on top. They looked mouthwatering–especially for someone who loves chocolate as much as I do. I swirled the box under my nose, enjoying the rich sweet scent, as one of my colleagues came into the room where the mailboxes were, and I asked him, “Ron, do you want these?” Was I really going to give these treats …

Sometimes it sucks

10

Last Thursday, I fought through a 90 minute ride, with the final 10 minutes feeling like 100 minutes. I could feel the energy slipping away from my legs. I was so drained, I skipped my 15 minute transition run. Friday’s a new day, right? Wrong. I slogged through 3200 yards of swimming. On good days, I can swim 3200 yards to warm up for the rest of my workout. On this day, those same 3200 yards sent me to the couch for a 2-hour nap. And, then it was Saturday morning. Time for another long ride. Three hours. Sigh. I’m …

Flowing in the Zone

11

I felt as if I was floating. My steps were smooth, as if the bottoms of my feet were hovering above the asphalt. My arms were light, guiding each movement, propeling my body forward. I felt the warm glow of enjoyment, as a smile crossed my face and I settled in for my run. My focus zeroed in on the rhythmic motion of running and breathing, breathing and running. In…out…in…out. As my feet pushed against the ground, I was aware of each muscle–legs, core, back, arms–as it shortened and lengthened to move me forward. I envisioned the perfect footfall, my …

Wait, how many feet is that? Previewing IM Mont Tremblant on the CompuTrainer

15

Elevation profile for the Ironman Mont Tremblant bike course. I opened my Training Peaks schedule on Christmas Eve to find a 3-hour hilly ride that my coach, Vince Matteo, had scheduled. This would be my first 3-hour ride since September. For me, the three-hour ride is a sure sign of beginning base training for an Ironman. With Ironman Mont Tremblant 7 months away that’s exactly right where I need to be. Usually, I would opt to do my long ride outdoors. But, a few factors drove me to the CompuTrainer for this ride. Most importantly, it was only 35-degrees. The …

Becoming the athlete I have to be

10

“Be the kind of person who does the types of things to have the results you want.” Ever since I heard triathlon & running coach Bobby McGee say these words, they’ve stuck with me. I’ve repeated them in my mind, turning over the meaning, and finding much value for the place I find myself in my endurance sport life. I realize how much I have already changed to become the kind of person I want to be. (For a great post on the progression of limiters in triathlon, see this blog post from Endurance Corner.) I’ve changed my diet, my …

Facing my fears and setting my (real) goals

19

Having earned his slot to the Ironman World Championships for 2012, John’s obsession with qualifying for Kona has been satisfied. Apparently, obsessions can transfer over. I seem to have caught it, just as I prepare to set specific goals for the 2012 racing season. This is an odd situation for me. I’ve told myself a variety of lies over the past three years about Kona. Here’s a sampling: “Ironman isn’t about Kona for me. I just want to do the best I can.” “I don’t race ironman to be competitive.” “I race Ironman to find out something about myself.” Well, …

CompuTrainer Ride of the Week: Felog’s False Flats

Every race has got ’em. Those infuriating patches where we stare in wonder at our bike computers as they report decreasing speed despite maintaining power and effort. False Flats. Just the phrase is enough to conjure another F-word. False flats remind us that not all elevation change comes in big leaps. Sometimes, we climb a hill 1-2% at a time. After two years competing in Ironman Lake Placid, I’ve learned quite a bit about how false flats will try to get the best of you. But–and this is a really important “but”– false flats represent an opportunity if we train …