tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17376364950220381902024-02-07T11:48:10.475-08:00ENDORPHINS FOR BREAKFASTDr. Quighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00166923955947444169noreply@blogger.comBlogger34125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1737636495022038190.post-14869834239257337482015-12-09T19:04:00.000-08:002015-12-10T08:42:39.458-08:00When Ridiculous Just Isn't Enough<style>
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<span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><i>“An
adventure is misery and discomfort, relived in the safety of reminiscence.”</i>--Marco Polo</span>
<br />
<br />
This past year, I knocked out a <a href="http://www.grandcircletrails.com/monument-valley-general-info/#information">50 Mile Run</a>, Rim to Rim to Rim of the Grand Canyon, and Ironman Arizona once again. At one point, all of these things seemed impossible. But with them solidly in the rear view mirror, I feel like it's time to up the ante. Not to take anything away from the these accomplishments, but I'm ready to try things that seem really and seriously impossible--a 100 mile run and a Double Iron distance race (281.2 miles).<br />
<br />
I think that race distances are like kids--you just want to have one more, until that last one is just too much. And I'm not there yet. <br />
<br />
Yes, the lure of combining things that I really love--swimming, biking running--with something that I really hate--being awake for 20-30 continuous hours--is just too much for me to leave it alone. Plus, I'm going to be 49 this year, at the "bottom" of the 45-49 age group. Not that Kona qualification for the 50-54 age group was any slower--It just wasn't.<br />
<br />
So I'm signed up for the <a href="http://www.allwedoisrun.com/born-to-run.html">Born to Run 100 miler</a> in California, just 2 days after the big 4-9. Then in October, the <a href="http://www.usaultratri.com/races_va.htm">Virginia Double Anvil</a>. And just because that's what this year is all about, I will also be doing the <a href="http://endracing.com/wilderman">Wilderman 140.6 offroad triathlon</a> in between. And IMAZ again 6 weeks later, only without all those pesky expectations of being in prime condition to make a run at Kona.<br />
<br />
I'll probably find a few more reasonable things to do. As always, Karen and I will have our annual Valentine's Day Outing, the <a href="http://www.mttaylorquad.org/">Mt. Taylor Winter Quad</a> in Grants, NM. <br />
<br />
So, it looks like next year will also be full to overflowing with awesomeness. See you on the trail, on the bike path, or in the pool.Dr. Quighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00166923955947444169noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1737636495022038190.post-71850946766312244032015-10-09T05:56:00.000-07:002015-10-09T06:34:37.971-07:00Atrial Bleeping Fibrillation, Part III: P-Waves From HeavenOn Monday night, I went for a quick, easy run while the kids were at Karate. I was definitely in atrial fibrillation when I started. So I started off with what appeared to be the "new normal," a heart rate limited slog at roughly 50 miler pace. But I just kept going, pushing a little harder from time to time to see how it felt. By the last hill, I felt pretty good, but didn't think anything of it, even afterwards.<br />
<br />
But as I would discover later, my heart had snapped back into regular rhythm. <br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWOmYwAVm-pTZYCBDR0tTRtjYURq4QkYcuSbDUnYToBiPp34mswtFetFYhlrRCarVQCYFqJeLtbGagkfBEk9XtELJl-cUxfLiwyreJsp_Pnmyh0wfHhXZSYfLClZpdvsYa6m9xRA8waxI/s1600/Screen+Shot+2015-10-08+at+5.51.30+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="183" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWOmYwAVm-pTZYCBDR0tTRtjYURq4QkYcuSbDUnYToBiPp34mswtFetFYhlrRCarVQCYFqJeLtbGagkfBEk9XtELJl-cUxfLiwyreJsp_Pnmyh0wfHhXZSYfLClZpdvsYa6m9xRA8waxI/s400/Screen+Shot+2015-10-08+at+5.51.30+AM.png" width="400" /></a>With a quick study of the .gpx file from the run on Trainingpeaks, I think I can guess to within a minute when I converted back to Normal Sinus Rhythm by looking at how efficiently I run. The metric of "Efficiency Factor" (EF) is computed by dividing running speed (normalized for grade) in yards per minute by average heart rate. Note the overall EF of 1.43 in the first frame:<br />
<br />
<br />
Frame 2 highlights a roughly 2 minute segment 12-13 minutes into the run, with EF of 1.28. This is typical of what I've seen during my week of Afib, and is far from the EF of 1.5-1.6 that I usually see. A 10-20% loss of high end cardiac output, and therefore efficiency, is what is expected for Afib. Not a literal killer, but certainly a killer of any chance of qualifying for the <a href="http://www.ironman.com/triathlon/events/americas/ironman/world-championship.aspx">Ironman World Championships</a>, which has been a perennial goal of mine for the last 3 years. <br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9L4DFOr91eaYZWsHV_PLtcfajg-URUf5XGzILgoptchwCo2EsiPvW3V6-42-W-5YN_qqsxMAXN9guBUmStyllI-qmbbq7FD1vbwKpvfhdvkMdXC7pYQR7hi8mWsm0t28BJaEjpZn3m7o/s1600/Screen+Shot+2015-10-08+at+5.49.43+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="293" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9L4DFOr91eaYZWsHV_PLtcfajg-URUf5XGzILgoptchwCo2EsiPvW3V6-42-W-5YN_qqsxMAXN9guBUmStyllI-qmbbq7FD1vbwKpvfhdvkMdXC7pYQR7hi8mWsm0t28BJaEjpZn3m7o/s640/Screen+Shot+2015-10-08+at+5.49.43+AM.png" width="640" /> </a><br />
And in the final frame, the EF is suddenly back to normal values: <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC3s08qa2gvlaEyGpbEseEV7SseRZYg96ql21h_pLqJUVMfjamSba-x6kuRkz8G4fvePfeoL-tUFjsIC92vwTvRhlFd8FTJGPXw44kw0d1HYfUNOnjAjK-09HOMOST0gguVOYDgrjkJRo/s1600/Screen+Shot+2015-10-08+at+5.49.22+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="291" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC3s08qa2gvlaEyGpbEseEV7SseRZYg96ql21h_pLqJUVMfjamSba-x6kuRkz8G4fvePfeoL-tUFjsIC92vwTvRhlFd8FTJGPXw44kw0d1HYfUNOnjAjK-09HOMOST0gguVOYDgrjkJRo/s640/Screen+Shot+2015-10-08+at+5.49.22+AM.png" width="640" /></a></div>
Later that evening, I checked my pulse, expecting it to be irregularly irregular again. But it was surprisingly constant. I didn't want to believe it, but it remaines so five minutes later. And in the morning, I hooked myself up to a monitor at work:<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcfZcPtruIw4OrC-xmgS5_S-cV5o1MTdo8z2-bZ6rY9JKvJi2FcFW3Pdt_9BgUChCkxT3oMbRIWG3Bo6LHB7ooPTQ1EtoFZb-Uo_ir9Fj0wnnwDg7kPAcMisHnrTZTnK8Ji0L2tkvRiAs/s1600/sinus-again.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcfZcPtruIw4OrC-xmgS5_S-cV5o1MTdo8z2-bZ6rY9JKvJi2FcFW3Pdt_9BgUChCkxT3oMbRIWG3Bo6LHB7ooPTQ1EtoFZb-Uo_ir9Fj0wnnwDg7kPAcMisHnrTZTnK8Ji0L2tkvRiAs/s400/sinus-again.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">GE. We bring good things to life. Like NSR.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
P-waves! Glorious P-waves! And they've remained there since. With the exception of a couple of skipped beats that scared the holy hell out of me, they've remained.<br />
<br />
The next morning, I felt as if someone had slipped me an (extra) quad espresso. I was walking on air, and my swim felt supercharged.<br />
<br />
Unfortunately, speaking of espresso, I'm still going to pursue the prudent course and keep ratcheting down caffeine. I'm grieving. I love me some stimulating beverage. It's basically my only remaining vice.<br />
<br />
The leading theory for how it happened to me remains the altitude tent, or at the very least, the simulated height to which I pushed it and how soon I did it (increasing 500-1,000 "feet"/week, sleeping nightly (and often poorly) at 10,000 "feet." <a href="http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/901668-overview">This article</a> (Thanks to Ted Rasoumoff) would suggest that pulmonary artery pressures go up substantially, even in asymptomatic residents of high altitude. Between this and three 20 hour weeks of training, plus work, plus family time and duties...I know, but there are just so many awesome things in my life that it's easy to want to do it all...there was just too much stress and not enough recovery going on. But I'll say it one last time: As someone who grew up at 7300 feet, I would've thought this was going to be pure gravy.<br />
<br />
I had felt some sense of strain and for lack of a better word, bogginess, in my chest for the week or two before recognizing the irregular heartbeats and Afib, and it was starting to feel a little difficult and uncomfortable to lay flat and sleep in the tent. I wrote some of this off to the small enclosure itself (it's just a hood that covers the head of the bed, and can be mildly uncomfortable), but clearly there was more to it than that. It makes mechanistic sense that increased right-sided heart pressures led to stretching of the right atrium and the corresponding cardiac conduction pathway, which is how you get arrhythmias like atrial fibrillation. It also follows that quitting the tent would allow pulmonary pressures, then right-sided heart pressures, to decrease. Then the atrial conduction pathways would shrink back to normal length (as this was not yet permanent cardiac remodeling). Then the aberrant conduction would go away when the normal course of electrical impulses through the atrium overrode it and took back over.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZXA5mALgiGwFhgaKyLKIxu2OUH5r2AFcjwzcS8FYq4v5vv3hk8LKMmaKRnXlB4JKU3_31ru1JBEmDFjUBLdmgPV2yBDRy0mebAKi5ZiuEsjPlJ4QrWbpFYRh1zEOCWGuVON0ZeYkAfmg/s1600/million.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZXA5mALgiGwFhgaKyLKIxu2OUH5r2AFcjwzcS8FYq4v5vv3hk8LKMmaKRnXlB4JKU3_31ru1JBEmDFjUBLdmgPV2yBDRy0mebAKi5ZiuEsjPlJ4QrWbpFYRh1zEOCWGuVON0ZeYkAfmg/s1600/million.jpg" /></a><br />
Responses of this sort to an altitude tent have not been reported with
any great frequency. But obviously, that's irrelevant to me. The altitude tent experiment is certainly over. Look for it on Ebay.<br />
<br />
Since I'm feeling like a cool million, I'm going to slowly and cautiously start ramping up the mileage again in preparation for <a href="http://www.ironman.com/triathlon/events/americas/ironman/arizona.aspx#axzz3o4dLpUB5">Ironman Arizona</a>. Assuming my working hypothesis is right, this shouldn't be a problem. But I guess we'll see. Say a prayer to Our Lady of Regular Heartbeats for me.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
#afib<br />
#atrialfibrillation<br />
#ironman<br />
#ironmanarizona<br />
#altitudetent<br />
#efficiencyfactor Dr. Quighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00166923955947444169noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1737636495022038190.post-82104835181209392232015-10-05T20:47:00.000-07:002015-10-09T06:00:48.802-07:00Atrial Bleeping Fibrillation, Part II--Gathering Info and Planning <a href="http://www.athletesheart.org/">Larry</a> was most helpful. No surprise there!! <br />
<br />
Main points:<br />
1)
<a href="http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/atrial-fibrillation/basics/definition/con-20027014">Afib</a> likely to be recurrent. (Again, I actually think I might have had it back
in '99 after I ran my first marathon. I seem to recall "funny
heartbeats" for awhile after it, but they went away.)<br />
2)
Cardioversion and antiarrhythmic drugs are hit-or-miss. They may or may
not keep me in normal sinus rhythm (NSR). In triathlon terms, NSR means that
the atria squeeze in a coordinated manner before the ventricles, and I
get to keep that 10-20% of top-end cardiac output, which is pretty
important in a race).<br />
3) As I suspected, anticoagulation (coumadin)
is not necessary for me personally to decrease stroke risk. With the exception of Afib, I just don't have any risk factors. Asprin every day is enough. Endurance athletes are just not likely to have the risk factors
to justify coumadin (big gun blood thinner). Plus, a hard bike crash
on coumadin would not be good. <br />
4) Catheter ablation is more reliable, but not 100% either. This will likely be the solution if it recurs.<br />
5) I will not just drop dead from afib (I was 99.94572% sure this was the case; it was my wife's question).<br />
6) Having used an altitude tent for the last several weeks was a likely contributor of cardiac stress, but not a known cause of Afib.<br />
7) Dudes and chicks over 40 have a 1 in 4 lifetime risk of afib.<br />
<br />
What
to make of it all? I'm almost undoubtedly still doing IMAZ. I may not
have the day I want, but that's just a little more out of my hands than
it was a couple weeks ago. We'll see what happens. Still gonna be an
endurance geek, still gonna give KQing a shot when it's feasible. No more altitude tent. No reason to try that experiment again. I will be cardioverted this week, and we'll see if it sticks. Modifiable risk factors for most people are alcohol intake (none here), caffeine intake (way too much, already tapering), and overall health--you know, like regular exercise...<br />
<br />
I'd
felt fairly knocked on my ass for the last few days, but I'm starting
to get my emotional if not cardiac mojo back. If the AFib thing
still lingers, it's going to be ablation time, probably sooner rather
than later. I'm going to walk through the standard treatment algorithm
of cardioversion--> antiarrhythmics--> ablation a whole lot quicker than most people would. Color me impatient, but I
don't see any benefit to putzing around with non-solutions.<br />
<br />
Interestingly, Larry has also been putting in for the Norseman lottery...<br />
<br />
<br />
#afib<br />
#atrialfibrillation<br />
#ironman<br />
#ironmanarizona<br />
#altitudetent<br />
#norseman Dr. Quighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00166923955947444169noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1737636495022038190.post-80192495340300901172015-10-05T19:52:00.002-07:002015-10-09T06:01:03.590-07:00Atrial Bleeping Fibrillation, Part I<style>
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The last three weeks of Ironman Arizona preparation have been of the
"build" variety, meaning a whole ton of time and miles. Week #2
was 22 hours, with 15 on the bike. By the end of this third and most
recent week, I was predictably feeling burnt. This was not
surprising. <br />
<br />
I recovered pretty quickly with a few days off, with the notable exception of
my heartbeat still feeling slow and irregular, which it has for about a
week. I hadn't given it much thought other than it being PVCs/dropped
beats, which is not much of a problem, but it occurred to me that it might be
atrial fibrillation, which would be. But atrial fibrillation usually correlates
with a faster heart rate. Yesterday morning, I ran before work--a slow,
short, recovery style run. It felt easy for the most part, but with
periods of wanting to stop for no good reason. When I got to work
Saturday, I figured I'd put it to bed one way or another. So I hooked
myself up to one of the monitors in an empty OR:<br />
<span style="mso-no-proof: yes;"></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqlg2Ly5wg-vw2r4bB6b4u62U6YNbZBeP3YMdpDfrH-Q4SY5FWUchVD_pYNX4uRq7udCn7QmVLOYCC9fvWV_N5eSeu-iJHfmeXqOuKvHLOJsnbbwAKbNwPYSUotTjrFD0tEsvuyt9oLe4/s1600/fib-on-monitor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqlg2Ly5wg-vw2r4bB6b4u62U6YNbZBeP3YMdpDfrH-Q4SY5FWUchVD_pYNX4uRq7udCn7QmVLOYCC9fvWV_N5eSeu-iJHfmeXqOuKvHLOJsnbbwAKbNwPYSUotTjrFD0tEsvuyt9oLe4/s400/fib-on-monitor.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="mso-no-proof: yes;"></span><br />
<br />
It's slow, irregular, and lacking the "P" waves associated with a
Normal Sinus Rhythm. So I got myself seen in the ER while working, like a
typical bad patient doctor would. The official EKG showed the same thing:
Atrial fibrillation. As in, atrial bleeping fibrillation, as in, full
stop on IMAZ prep and perhaps other things, as in, I'm likely to get
cardioverted (shocked) in the next couple days and put on meds to anticoagulate
and maintain rhythm.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjWFo25xnDWQrao3LSVTLclU4ORXaDcZofVRVm7_lmGO6AouzYTYTOBArvlV0rHRvfXfhfc5fIAfSMVmKSMx8-ZYRd-GvOaSkfCF4ucyNk2NpIQ8hACkYhi85Hk_EN5FjofWDt1CoL2zs/s1600/400px-Afib_ecg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="128" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjWFo25xnDWQrao3LSVTLclU4ORXaDcZofVRVm7_lmGO6AouzYTYTOBArvlV0rHRvfXfhfc5fIAfSMVmKSMx8-ZYRd-GvOaSkfCF4ucyNk2NpIQ8hACkYhi85Hk_EN5FjofWDt1CoL2zs/s320/400px-Afib_ecg.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
<br />
Educational moment--In the
diagram to the right, the EKG waveform for atrial fibrillation is shown on
top. The purple arrow on the lower tracing points to a "P"
wave, which indicates normal atrial contraction. There are no identifiable
"P" waves in atrial fibrillation, and a corresponding loss of cardiac
power with ineffective atrial contraction.<br />
<br />
<br />
In hindsight, this was probably not the first episode I've had. When I ran
my first marathon back in '99, a trail run near Santa Cruz, I remember feeling
funny heartbeats towards the end of the race, and for awhile thereafter.
Soon after that, I remember getting on a treadmill with a heart rate meter (a novelty back then,
as far as I remembered), and pushing my heart rate up to almost 190. This may
not seem high to some, but currently, my threshold HR is in the mid to high
150s, and my "barf number" is in the low to mid 160s. Relative to the
astronomical number I pushed at age 32, I thought my current HR must have been
the aberration, a product of subsequent medical school and residency deconditioning
or stress. More likely, the earlier, higher number was the anomaly.<br />
<br />
I'm not sure where this is all leading, both in the short run and
long. The cardiac possibilities run from cardioversion (low voltage
shock) and being basically done with it, to needing ongoing meds and even a
catheter ablation procedure if it keeps coming back. The lifestyle
implications are that I need to get off my typical industrial doses of
caffeine. Crap. I'm a big fan of caffeine. But I'm a big fan of cardiac output too. The endurance possibilities run from just having a
long taper into IMAZ to having to become basically a recreational
athlete. This actually wouldn't be the end of the world. But being a non-athlete is a non-option as far as I'm concerned.<br />
<br />
I'm reading up and talking to people I know to make sure it's handled the
best possible way. Tonight I'm going to have a phone chat with <a href="http://www.athletesheart.org/">Larry Creswell</a>, Cardiac surgeon and
endurance athlete.<br />
<br />
#afib<br />
#atrialfibrillation<br />
#ironman<br />
#ironmanarizona<br />
#altitudetent<br />
<br />
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Dr. Quighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00166923955947444169noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1737636495022038190.post-831478288778490452015-08-31T03:54:00.003-07:002015-10-09T06:01:23.199-07:00The Ironman "Crankies"It's been a good couple of "up" weeks of beginning to build to IMAZ, and
I've had the first couple instances of the "Ironman Crankies" the last
couple days. Most folks who have been through the preparation and execution of an Ironman know what this is: cumulative physical and mental tiredness, leading to increased irritability, and unfortunately, a corresponding decreased ability to keep the mouth shut about every little thing that bothers me. The Crankies are a sign of overreaching, a necessary part of gaining the requisite fitness. But they are also a warning not to push too hard through the exhaustion into full-on overtraining syndrome or injury.<br />
<br />
After 3 hours of power intervals on the bike and an hour
run in 93 degrees, I got a little fussy at home Saturday. Karen, experienced IMer and Ironwife that she is, asked
where I was in my training cycle. And then the light went on. <br />
<br />
Awareness is the first step in managing the Crankies.<br />
<br />
Keeping my cakehole shut is the second. <br />
<br />
Getting caught up on sleep can't but help, and moving into a recovery week will make it go away almost completely. But not entirely, thus the need to self-censor.<br />
<br />
The
Universe must be on my side--I slept all night long last night on
overnight call at our Level I trauma center, on a Saturday, no less.<br />
<br />
Time for a nice, toasty trail run.<br />
<br />
<br />#ironman<br />
#ironmanarizonaDr. Quighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00166923955947444169noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1737636495022038190.post-57238888257177172112015-06-06T06:14:00.004-07:002015-06-06T06:14:39.445-07:00Doing the Deuces Wild DoubleThis past weekend marked the beginning of Tri season for me. Up to now, it's been skiing, <a href="http://www.mttaylorquad.org/">Quadrathlon-ing</a>, and mostly <a href="http://www.grandcircletrails.com/monument-valley-general-info/#information">Ultrarunning</a>, and more <a href="http://felog.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=787:rim-to-rim-to-rim&catid=36:running">Ultrarunning</a>, with a relatively small side order of swim/bike. So in addition to avoiding injury and having fun, my goals/expectations were limited. Show Low, AZ, where the <a href="http://www.deuceswildtriathlon.com/">Deuces Wild Triathlon Festival</a> is, sits at over 6,000 feet above sea level, which is more than 3,000 feet higher than our home in Tucson, meaning that oxygen was the limiter, particularly on the swim. The weather was beautiful. Just as Tucson was creeping over the century mark, the mercury barely passed 80 in Show Low. <br />
<br />
Just for fun and training, I decided to do both the <a href="http://www.mapmyride.com/us/linden-az/trisports-com-deuceman-bike-course-route-27806858">Deuceman 70.3</a>, as well as the <a href="http://www.deuceswildtriathlon.com/events/xterra-deuces-wild">Deuces Wild XTERRA</a> the following day. There was a kids' triathlon (with the kids' first open water swim) on Saturday, making for a very full weekend at the Fool's Hollow Lake area. A good number of Tucsonians, many of whom were Karen's fellow <a href="http://www.tucsontrigirls.org/">Tucson Tri Girls</a>, were there, which made it more social than expected.<br />
<br />
In 2011, the Deuceman 70.3 was my first Half IM. I completed it in a fairly respectable 5 hours and 48 minutes, but that was 4 years and 10 pounds ago. My two-tiered goals were to either go a full hour faster, or break 5 hours. I did this one with a sleeved, and admittedly inflexible, wetsuit, with the thought to do the XTERRA swim in a sleeveless wetsuit for comparison. Historically, I've tried several sleeved wetsuits, but haven't found one that I didn't feel like I was fighting by the end of a HIM or IM swim, so I was curious to find out how fast and comfortable either option was.<br />
<br />
The high altitude swim is infamous for creating hypoxic panic in those who go out too fast, so I did my best not to do so. Despite my best efforts to loosen up the shoulder fabric, I was fighting the wetsuit in short order. The swim took 31 minutes, slower than expected even with elevation. I think I was 4th out of the water. Many agreed the swim seemed overlong, but maybe that was just the hypoxia talking.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBeDCU8_A3ici0-xA8J2APpCeMJCXAr44f4I_hUj2w90D1J-PEqmkBfg7M8lttgDtX6jt2_heOiM7abSWCer6cUuuTkZPkQvP8tFB7q3JwQ2jHiI6xlAAAJAsudKwd2NGGvUcZzrDwObI/s1600/Tom-deuces-bike-052915.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="504" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBeDCU8_A3ici0-xA8J2APpCeMJCXAr44f4I_hUj2w90D1J-PEqmkBfg7M8lttgDtX6jt2_heOiM7abSWCer6cUuuTkZPkQvP8tFB7q3JwQ2jHiI6xlAAAJAsudKwd2NGGvUcZzrDwObI/s640/Tom-deuces-bike-052915.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Riding off into the pines, similar to my home town of Los Alamos, NM</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
This was also the long awaited first triathlon on the new <a href="http://rustersports.com/dimond/">Dimond</a>. Despite having been on it for several months now, I felt funny on the bike for the first 15 miles, and power output was initially low. I dropped a chain; I missed a turn, but saw the turn markings as I overshot them and got right back in it. Finally I found my position, and the bike got fun and fast. The Dimond is amazing. In spite of the fact that I had a couple miscues and pushed lower average wattage than I did at IMAZ last year, I rode 2:32 on a hilly course that had 2600' of elevation gain (per Trainingpeaks). Yes, it is a fast bike. And yes, I can't wait to see what it does at <a href="http://ironmanarizona.com/">IMAZ</a> this year.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiKSHMyOreeq5DAaaS_HcYUjQYGmvAGuRWtn97DhefRjXhnFw2QntPItaalA0fglydLeLCvf03_CSBieKsS-eyecnA5_6C9uejAbuMuEcEayA4LrP6TV52P5RUdddWBVwXKNtysGJWVOY/s1600/Tom-deuces-run-052915.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiKSHMyOreeq5DAaaS_HcYUjQYGmvAGuRWtn97DhefRjXhnFw2QntPItaalA0fglydLeLCvf03_CSBieKsS-eyecnA5_6C9uejAbuMuEcEayA4LrP6TV52P5RUdddWBVwXKNtysGJWVOY/s400/Tom-deuces-run-052915.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Starting on the Deuceman run</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
It had warmed up a little by the time I got out on the run, and I stuck with my goal of starting out easy and feeling my way into it, and not overdoing the nutrition on the run. Again I had to adjust expectations to the altitude. "Proper pace" was slow, slow, slow for a HIM. But the run went well and smoothly until the last couple miles, when the tummy started voicing its discontent despite being empty. I was happy to finish in 4:56, 6th overall, and first in M45-49. <br />
<br />
Definitely a good start to tri season.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
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<br />
<br />
Josh (12) and Kelila (7) did the youth triathlons in the afternoon, and got their first taste of open water swims. Both faced the intimidating prospect with gumption and prevailed! Kelila was 2nd in her AG, continuing her solid tri results. Much like her parents, she chews up the bike course!<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4klkFBRd2z4uAeSly7YbCF5jD1oNv-I_rd3j6RRXFSh0oDmXmLWcETmU0TGpBarFkVgw388KrHwFBsYvVwppSV00C68igPVuy2OVazQmNrq1hJwxFC9Od7Uwwz9-jwhbqO2U-9dtfdo8/s1600/deuces-wild-kids-collage-052915.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="593" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4klkFBRd2z4uAeSly7YbCF5jD1oNv-I_rd3j6RRXFSh0oDmXmLWcETmU0TGpBarFkVgw388KrHwFBsYvVwppSV00C68igPVuy2OVazQmNrq1hJwxFC9Od7Uwwz9-jwhbqO2U-9dtfdo8/s640/deuces-wild-kids-collage-052915.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Racin' up a storm!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1ABu1wYp7fkLpRlbEqAhczOHnGYeleuSo9-NMQzQHTFHs644M3kPFJDGtl8dt_xg6eBNEsTSLK-l8of3OFOXi_iHqAX4bfGIuPqeP6Ivs825SiI7h4Hn82BMwTmfx3x42LHxg1LgzrDE/s1600/oats.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1ABu1wYp7fkLpRlbEqAhczOHnGYeleuSo9-NMQzQHTFHs644M3kPFJDGtl8dt_xg6eBNEsTSLK-l8of3OFOXi_iHqAX4bfGIuPqeP6Ivs825SiI7h4Hn82BMwTmfx3x42LHxg1LgzrDE/s320/oats.jpg" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We have bought or brought oatmeal every <br />time we've gone to Robin's cabin...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
After some dinner and an awards dinner, we retired early at our friends <a href="http://www.excelltricoaching.com/">Robin</a> and Rex's cabin, getting rested for the XTERRA.<br />
<br />
I approached the XTERRA pretty lightheartedly, and was surprised at how well it went. The swim was similar to the previous day, only mercifully shorter. The sleeveless wetsuit was much more comfortable and faster, which makes me think a change of approach may be in order. The bike course was mostly easy and fun, except for a steep segment with loose rocks, and a corresponding steep downhill segment with loose rocks. Flowing with the course on a MTB is different than pushing wattage on the road, and in many ways, it's much more enjoyable in both a Zen and adventurous sort of way. But I'm not as good at it. The benefit of this is that when I get off the MTB in an XTERRA, I actually get to run people down! The trail run was fun, with a few hilly segments and not too much boulder hopping. Thanks to the many trail miles I've put in this year, I was able to bounce back easily from yesterday and run only 13 sec/mile slower than I did on the road the previous day. I suppose slacking a little and having a consequence for it is how one gets motivated to pull it together...don't think I'm ever going to be less than thorough about race prep and execution, even if it's the second race of the weekend and a purported "fun race"/"workout"...<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDIv8oYcMzHknwfyoEcDUKJKy7BjSwT7IR6joUjPhPeP5AdWbcLRozS8jONRW1Bn1gB-9jL7lDJy2qr9C3wJo_bMlsPvLsEdmJ0UeJW8Xy9t9SfVMue3SJv01kS8eXtk8qeglaJAG84hY/s1600/karen-deuces-earplug.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDIv8oYcMzHknwfyoEcDUKJKy7BjSwT7IR6joUjPhPeP5AdWbcLRozS8jONRW1Bn1gB-9jL7lDJy2qr9C3wJo_bMlsPvLsEdmJ0UeJW8Xy9t9SfVMue3SJv01kS8eXtk8qeglaJAG84hY/s640/karen-deuces-earplug.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Karen raced the entire XTERRA with one earplug in...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1ABu1wYp7fkLpRlbEqAhczOHnGYeleuSo9-NMQzQHTFHs644M3kPFJDGtl8dt_xg6eBNEsTSLK-l8of3OFOXi_iHqAX4bfGIuPqeP6Ivs825SiI7h4Hn82BMwTmfx3x42LHxg1LgzrDE/s1600/oats.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>
One interesting footnote: The extensive brown patch on Josh's (green)
bike below <br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj27Vt1e5m1R4FHdUX0BuoDpDP1X_W3hTCwkZxW8H2NAwpBay6XkZOba76E6MW2B7KRFPjEx9q9DSJXJHqKhYClMX-flOJTJM1Vjco6Goj97VXwAm0HYgmiGNXsRuK1qkyQnRgzu35Oi8E/s1600/bees+on+car+053115.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj27Vt1e5m1R4FHdUX0BuoDpDP1X_W3hTCwkZxW8H2NAwpBay6XkZOba76E6MW2B7KRFPjEx9q9DSJXJHqKhYClMX-flOJTJM1Vjco6Goj97VXwAm0HYgmiGNXsRuK1qkyQnRgzu35Oi8E/s640/bees+on+car+053115.jpg" width="640" /></a>is not caked mud, but bees. You can see a few more flying around. As we stood in Subway in Globe, AZ, we saw a swarm of bugs outside,
near the car. On closer examination, they were bees. And as we watched
the swarm, wondering how we were going to get safely back to the car,
they settled enough for me to get quickly and uneventfully into the
driver's seat. After 10 minutes of swerving and driving off curbs (and
not catching the attention of local law enforcement), about 3/4 were
gone, and the gang got safely in. Over the next 90 miles, with several
stops and starts, we finally shook off every last one, without a single
sting. And courtesy of the Internet, we learned all about bees, swarms,
and hives...<br />
Dr. Quighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00166923955947444169noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1737636495022038190.post-57207068492367771762015-03-17T16:55:00.000-07:002015-10-05T21:54:03.373-07:00Monument Valley 50 Miler<style>
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My first 50 miler was more of a drive-run-drive duathlon. I planned to leave Friday after work, and return Sunday morning before a school ceremony for our youngest. I’d hoped to pull into Monument Valley by 7 or 8 pm, just in
time to catch the end of race check-in, but Friday the 13<sup>th</sup> traffic
and an unexpected Time Zone change—the Navajo Nation is on Mountain Daylight
time, not Standard time like Arizona—brought me in to the Monument Valley View
Hotel at 10:30.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’d planned a 5 am
wake-up to make sure there was enough time to gear up before the 0700 start time, as this was my first 50
miler.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As is often the case before bigger
events, sleep was somewhat elusive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEUErmKikBm3QyapBd8i5ekJVSttPD7GKZJLrt69zdl8HR7oqZwbAFCdvfZoWlQk0FRYEuMhS1aoEmqrctC4S6vblzGFTf3_YlKwIaXAA-uznpMGx4yuCr7OmzrYmy6LzPs_54gm37PbA/s1600/amrace.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEUErmKikBm3QyapBd8i5ekJVSttPD7GKZJLrt69zdl8HR7oqZwbAFCdvfZoWlQk0FRYEuMhS1aoEmqrctC4S6vblzGFTf3_YlKwIaXAA-uznpMGx4yuCr7OmzrYmy6LzPs_54gm37PbA/s1600/amrace.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nervous. Not well rested. Not to worry.</td></tr>
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I beat the alarm, and on went the gear—Hokas with gaiters,
Injinji toe socks with DeFeet wool socks over them, compression shirt and
shorts, cover shorts, a race pack with Camelbak, a waistpack with a nutrition
bottle, and, perhaps most importantly given the venue, a point-and-shoot
camera.</div>
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We milled around in the darkness for a few minutes, as I
silently wondered exactly how one started an all darned day run.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> My inner</span> Master Yoda answered, “Mmm, one step at a
time you go; slowly and comfortably you run.” That was the plan, at least.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Running more or less from sun-up to sundown is
a hard thing to imagine when one’s previous longest run is
around 5 hours.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxhrSIfcPAqDtlN6W9DFMY2J-uNxXZI0ddR9yHF_f4Tuu94xuCDNyy0nw73CXuUfwxmArLWVuZ5t3101m2LdUDPbFlwBFn4ljcmnXP-A0j7kpabnYdqF_3n4k1cH9miEBibPZLajfJg6E/s1600/racebless.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxhrSIfcPAqDtlN6W9DFMY2J-uNxXZI0ddR9yHF_f4Tuu94xuCDNyy0nw73CXuUfwxmArLWVuZ5t3101m2LdUDPbFlwBFn4ljcmnXP-A0j7kpabnYdqF_3n4k1cH9miEBibPZLajfJg6E/s1600/racebless.jpg" width="320" /></a>We received a predawn blessing from a representative of the Navajo Nation. Then we lined up, and, in a relatively unceremonious way, we were
off.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dawn broke after a few miles, and the views were
amazing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most other runners seemed to
have cameras, and photo stops were the rule, not the exception.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The terrain was more undulating and sandy
than expected.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After the first couple
miles, I revised my expected finishing time estimate from the 10-11 hour range
up to about 12 hours.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The segments that
were around mesas had more solid footing, and a moderate amount of
rock-hopping.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But the terrain was like
all other conditions, just something to accept and work with.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHBfPShEGK8EBBIeEHBzS462EBWlTOc0j77YQ0FkP2MIg3_WF4hKaQ-DQngdqQ7qyB7iCPoyIKZj1XlMORo5GpvWChUfY6pdxNGpfmtSJD2adPfn1hGSpmOh_ygV3rREE_TQQgcOvFFEM/s1600/MV-Runners-near-Brigham's-Tomb-031415.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHBfPShEGK8EBBIeEHBzS462EBWlTOc0j77YQ0FkP2MIg3_WF4hKaQ-DQngdqQ7qyB7iCPoyIKZj1XlMORo5GpvWChUfY6pdxNGpfmtSJD2adPfn1hGSpmOh_ygV3rREE_TQQgcOvFFEM/s1600/MV-Runners-near-Brigham's-Tomb-031415.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Across the Utah line, running towards the Brigham's Tomb aid station.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkvvgbyaABcXmmbaHngsRnDY_5ca7v0RA3MLDoNwCBNMPeYLGW8idc5fD4jv-18bh6xykWMqnWcO_KiyNYjMuCfO5ugW2qjmuX_4S3c30biNoEiqrU0MDqHqv0nbcpQ-By1Z55nl69oCE/s1600/MV-North-Valley-Pano-031415.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="350" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkvvgbyaABcXmmbaHngsRnDY_5ca7v0RA3MLDoNwCBNMPeYLGW8idc5fD4jv-18bh6xykWMqnWcO_KiyNYjMuCfO5ugW2qjmuX_4S3c30biNoEiqrU0MDqHqv0nbcpQ-By1Z55nl69oCE/s1600/MV-North-Valley-Pano-031415.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking South at the Valley from across the Utah State Line</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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One mental strategy for a race of this duration might be to
break it down and not think of the entirety of it, but I kept reminding myself
of the race length in order to subdue my urge to pursue other runners or push a
faster pace.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mostly, this worked.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Around Mile 14, it no longer helped, as the
weight of the race landed on me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It
helped to treat this as another opportunity to pay attention to what I was
doing in the moment, and to detach myself from my thoughts and feelings, and
just observe: </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Wow, so I don’t feel
like running, certainly not for another thirty-six miles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Okay, so noted.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Keep the feet moving, and keep sucking down
the nutrition, and it will change.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And
then it will change again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And again...</i></div>
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<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib908W3OSEk55CWBR9DQ4kRscO7RPfN0GM068lj-8T6dDDdkGq2Gr_XT3Xwf2Bh3sspKI1gbKapmfrCm_9kE3CvurARoDqcDmxflDsjA-mQvG3DzO23uFwwz6xGBdsuSgiM9EXIGcPp6I/s1600/ultrarunner+pee+trail+031415.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib908W3OSEk55CWBR9DQ4kRscO7RPfN0GM068lj-8T6dDDdkGq2Gr_XT3Xwf2Bh3sspKI1gbKapmfrCm_9kE3CvurARoDqcDmxflDsjA-mQvG3DzO23uFwwz6xGBdsuSgiM9EXIGcPp6I/s1600/ultrarunner+pee+trail+031415.jpg" width="133" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The "mark" of a true ultra runner.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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About this time, I saw a 100 mile runner walking in the
other direction, 26 hours and 85 miles into his race.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By the despair etched on his face, it looked
as if he was struggling mightily, and when I offered some encouraging words, he
brightened like I’d handed him a winning Powerball ticket.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It turns out there was an abundance of
encouragement flowing in all directions, and some positive words helped to lift
me out of my own funk in short order.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Some of this can be found at times in triathlon, but the sense of
support and community at this race was truly inspiring.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Everyone was cheering for everyone else, even the frontrunners.</div>
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<br /></div>
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After the first 22 mile loop, the rest of the race involved
three loops starting from and ending at the Hogan Aid Station, which became a
sort of temporary community between scenic adventure jaunts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At my second stop here at mile 27, I decided
to give myself a head-to-toe, “full service” aid stop.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">A volunteer at the aid station helped me out, noting that I had what appeared to be "Ultra Brain." Putting together a plan</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">—like taking shoes and socks off</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">—and
executing it felt like an impossibly complicated task. </span>A fair amount of red sand had snuck in past
the gaiters, and I had one blister.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> So I dusted off my feet, drained the blister, and switched to the "cover all" Raid Light gaiters. </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">I was at the
aid station for what seemed like half an hour, but it turns out it was
only ten minutes. </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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I also tried something I hadn’t done on long runs, or in
triathlons: Solid food.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At 50 mile pace,
I managed to tolerate pretzels, potato chips, and a Clif Bar, and to suck down
an entire 20 oz. bottle of Tailwind at once on more than one occasion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As long as I kept the pace reasonable, it
worked.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> I maintained a steady state of fluid, electrolytes, nutrition, and pacing for most of the race.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghhKvou_jOA46O77LJP8lfEZDhjV7Fr29sdnB1ZdDw0m1JnNDw55998vu3kLwDm8PU5btNPvWfnUV-QOYjmV9HNGEUSqylLZ6oUzwpEv1OB1lSTbpsAQi2q8IFLmL6wWiLrHI1tKhmM-g/s1600/MV-totem-pole-031415.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghhKvou_jOA46O77LJP8lfEZDhjV7Fr29sdnB1ZdDw0m1JnNDw55998vu3kLwDm8PU5btNPvWfnUV-QOYjmV9HNGEUSqylLZ6oUzwpEv1OB1lSTbpsAQi2q8IFLmL6wWiLrHI1tKhmM-g/s1600/MV-totem-pole-031415.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The "Totem Pole" and friends</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijLUWcUUCbE7CnYXKI4avMaaxIXom24qPbGXbG_RyCzFUuHTEFIFWRnSL_NrZqaWNWiRNyNs_rAsIwlqJrHzQq0G5uOWz6K898BVo-dVY1XWOcuWZzPxiFHKnxcnLKjdFXoXQvrWUcerc/s1600/MV-Sand-Runner-031415.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijLUWcUUCbE7CnYXKI4avMaaxIXom24qPbGXbG_RyCzFUuHTEFIFWRnSL_NrZqaWNWiRNyNs_rAsIwlqJrHzQq0G5uOWz6K898BVo-dVY1XWOcuWZzPxiFHKnxcnLKjdFXoXQvrWUcerc/s1600/MV-Sand-Runner-031415.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A runner trudges through the sand on the scenic southern loop</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy6jFuAytsVzLvAWXV7LoEah7QZ0x2c6m1SUR3igezkxdCjLH1Zz8RO8aboZM0tI734Adul2Ap-mE32tq41STNVy9ODi0GMxHXHXpC0HarvXIGjl4yOA8WR9kgS4-MUgo60p0xC2ZAzok/s1600/MV-Ear-Of-The-Wind-031415.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt=""Ear of the Wind," at the southernmost turnaround point of the course" border="0" height="371" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy6jFuAytsVzLvAWXV7LoEah7QZ0x2c6m1SUR3igezkxdCjLH1Zz8RO8aboZM0tI734Adul2Ap-mE32tq41STNVy9ODi0GMxHXHXpC0HarvXIGjl4yOA8WR9kgS4-MUgo60p0xC2ZAzok/s1600/MV-Ear-Of-The-Wind-031415.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Ear of The Wind," at the southernmost point of the course.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
All was well until mile 39 or so, when the springs in my
legs seemed to suddenly lose their bounce.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This was unfortunate timing, as Miles 39-43 were the approximately 1,000
foot ascent and descent of Mitchell Butte.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Over the next few miles, I devised a couple of other names for it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Whatever residual quad strength I had was
spent getting up it, and the descent over loose, rocky terrain made my
moderately sore feet scream at me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
turnaround at the top was exultation—I knew I would complete the race.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-Qa9NDl7y6Q8_7GXMufoCnEmPQ3djhEG1Uh8bqFa0KzhjdCSOu5J9mCd8Znme2NjWVQzTX5kAbRmbCIkBWT2osq4LQjEdpPg5FzDZY1M7mOeF1YoQWD3oeXVus2GPVPz7Ctm0y-ZUxC8/s1600/MV-Tom-on-Mitchell-Butte-Exultation-031415.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-Qa9NDl7y6Q8_7GXMufoCnEmPQ3djhEG1Uh8bqFa0KzhjdCSOu5J9mCd8Znme2NjWVQzTX5kAbRmbCIkBWT2osq4LQjEdpPg5FzDZY1M7mOeF1YoQWD3oeXVus2GPVPz7Ctm0y-ZUxC8/s1600/MV-Tom-on-Mitchell-Butte-Exultation-031415.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mile 41.5, final turnaround on top of the Butte</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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The last 7 miles were about how to manage the progressive
muscle failure.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>First, I power walked,
with a little bit of kick on the downhills.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This stride felt about as graceful as doing a Frankenstein impression on
cross-country skis, but it was fastest, and I was all about the finish line at
this point.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My power walking speed was
initially not much slower than my dwindling running speed, but even that
eventually collapsed to a walk up the long final hill to the finish line, 11 hours and 42 minutes after the start. </div>
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<br /></div>
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Two fellow racers almost caught me right at the line, but
somehow I found just that little bit of reserve to stay ahead.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The utter failure of leg muscles was beyond
even that of an Ironman by quite a bit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Shivering and limping, with spasming hip flexors, I barely made it to the car,
where I cranked up the heat and began convalescence. It occurred to me to take a final picture of the view before I left, but the body was no longer capable. </div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEharFdUQyKZsat94kr5YYN4hHmtqgUHDcLd0lCdiywp3IpHfq2QIyZWcrgxm4IVgg8fSNoliB_buto_ZZqgPdvDBsxRvq2bEkQ_lChWmtASUeVP7SLPE2M_rUMnVphogZnkxjKVFAj8L2U/s1600/MV-Mitchell-Butte-Panno-031415.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="328" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEharFdUQyKZsat94kr5YYN4hHmtqgUHDcLd0lCdiywp3IpHfq2QIyZWcrgxm4IVgg8fSNoliB_buto_ZZqgPdvDBsxRvq2bEkQ_lChWmtASUeVP7SLPE2M_rUMnVphogZnkxjKVFAj8L2U/s1600/MV-Mitchell-Butte-Panno-031415.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking North from the top of Mitchell Butte</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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The race was amazing, not just in terms of the course.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The aid stations were excellent; the feeling
of community among the racers was like nothing I’d experienced.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ll definitely do another one, and probably one that <a href="http://www.grandcircletrails.com/monument-valley-general-info/">Matt Gunn</a> put together.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Just not next weekend.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></div>
Dr. Quighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00166923955947444169noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1737636495022038190.post-35538150864361355292014-11-17T09:48:00.000-08:002014-11-17T10:46:25.918-08:00Quick and Dirty IMAZ '14 Race Report<style>
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<br />
My first IM DNF, and hopefully my last.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Overall, I was surprised to even be racing,
as a calf pull 5 weeks ago and a bike crash onto my surgical hip 4 weeks ago
had me unable to run, or even walk, without limping as recently as 2 weeks ago.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As with so many things, I have my wife Karen
to thank for strongly suggesting that I get some physical therapy instead of being my typical terrible patient self and trying to push through, as this was going nowhere.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Melissa from <a href="http://peakactionpt.com/" target="_blank">Peak Action PT</a>, and John Woolf
and the gang at <a href="http://www.proactivept.com/" target="_blank">ProActive</a> did an amazing job to get me on my feet in an
unfathomably short time, just as I was convinced that it was time to hang it up
for the rest of the year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So, the race, by discipline:</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Swim: 1:00:38.</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>4<sup>th</sup> in age group.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Good enough.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Relatively low contact with other swimmers, which was aided by swimming
fast out of the gate for the first 100 or so arm cycles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Starting out at a moderate pace last year led to being
swamped by a pack, so I figured it was going to involve some flailing one way
or another.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My swim seems to get a
minute slower per year, probably as my build trends away from that of a lifter/ex-boxer/martial artist to that of a triathlete.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> And i</span>f I may whine for a second: For all the time I spent in the pool as a
kid, I’m surprised this is all I have to show for it in triathlon swim terms.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But distance freestyle was my second worst
event… Whatever.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>An Ironman is a marathon with
an inordinately and hazardously long warmup, with the swim<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>being
the part where you warm up all the wrong muscles first. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>T1: 3:45.</b> Decent, given how long we had to run to get through it.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Bike: 4:56:11.</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>2<sup>nd</sup> in age group off the
bike.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Right where I'd need to be to have a shot at Kona. Pacing was solid, if not just slightly
overcooked.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>15-20 mph headwinds going up
the grade on laps 2-3 made things slower, and turned my strategy from “flat course” to “hilly
course”: slightly more wattage on uphills; slightly less on downhills.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For fellow numbers geeks, Overall NP was 235W, IF
0.72.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most of that was on laps 1-2.5,
where NP was 240W, and AP was 236.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The wind was so strong
on the way back to T2 that I pretty much coasted the last half lap.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Power was on the higher end of the recommended range,
but what might have been excessive was my propensity to push harder into the
wind, and to push harder on the first half of lap three just so I could be done
pedaling into the wind sooner.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On numerous occasions, I had to yank my own choke chain and slow down.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">I felt badly for the folks I passed who were only on their second lap, and would have to come back into the wind a third time. </span>The whole way, I seemed to be behind in hydration,
and gulped down water as much as possible.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Unfortunately, I also gulped down air, which led to a bloated
abdomen that was probably most of my demise on the run. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>T2: 1:55.</b> It could've been a few seconds faster, but I think I was savoring not pedaling any more.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Run: 20.4 miles in
3:23.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></b>Five weeks of injuries
made me start the run with a “let’s see how far I can go” mindset, as opposed
to a “finish at all costs” mentality, even though the calf and hip gave me zero
problems.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My guts were bloated and
churning from the get-go, which was frustrating, because I’ve been working on
this historical problem for a couple years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>A porta-potty stop at mile 5 helped some, but it never really got better. Some of it might have been bike pacing, but some was definitely <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>bloat from swallowing air.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Negative self-talk was incessant, and I worked on myself to get through every mile and not quit. I kept going because I was still managing to push out some good<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>miles, and managing to process water and IM Perform
without it backing up in my stomach too much.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>At about mile 13, the fade kicked in. I pushed through to mile 17, past the
spot where the family was waiting to cheer me on (thanks, gang!!!).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Karen told me I was still in contention, but
my body was telling me otherwise.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> At this point, I decided I would push through to the finish barring complete collapse. </span>I ran
another mile and switched to “rescue” mode: walk the aid stations, drink 2
waters and 2 cokes at each, run between them as much as possible.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The coke was not de-fizzed as it usually is,
which led to some really vile projectile belching that would have been pretty
funny to watch if I hadn’t been the one doing it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So I switched back to IM perform and
water.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
About a mile later, I had to walk between aid stations.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My body temp started dropping: when I reflexively
poured water on my head at the next aid station, I actually felt cold.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At the mile 20 aid station, I stopped at the
porta-potty to deal with bloating and nausea.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>By the time I was done, I was wet, shivering, and feeling no better in GI
terms.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There was no reason to think this
was going to go in the right direction before I got seriously hypothermic, so I
hung it up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Medics checked me out; aid
station volunteers kept me in the warm clothing, IM Perform, and potato chips
(thanks!!!), and I eventually got a golf cart ride halfway to transition. The ride was a
whole series of misadventures, but that’s another story…</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In spite of the occasional self-recriminations for not
finishing, I'm overall pleased with this race. This was a solid step in the direction of
qualifying for Kona.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My strategy out of the gate was not
to pace it evenly (and slowly given recent injuries) in order to finish, but to do what I needed to be in World Championship contention for as long as I could.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And I
was in the hunt for most of the race, and would’ve been right in it to the
finish line were it not for aforementioned issues.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>I think the dietary contribution to bloating has been successfully eliminated. It seems that all that separates me from
Kona/podium is a little more run endurance, and just not swallowing so much
air.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This doesn’t sound insurmountable,
which is what it seemed like as recently as this past Saturday.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Despite the result, I’m much more confident that I’m capable of pulling
off Kona sooner rather than later.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
...And now, it’s ski season.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Bring on the snow!!</div>
Dr. Quighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00166923955947444169noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1737636495022038190.post-35702103305278693752014-08-16T17:02:00.001-07:002014-08-16T17:04:50.255-07:00Blowin' In The Wind (Tunnel...)Pictures speak volumes, so I'll keep the comments minimal. I had a wind tunnel fit with Aaron Ross at <a href="http://www.ride-faster.com/" target="_blank">Faster</a> in Scottsdale. Compare the old position (also visible on top of this blog) to the new. Definitely $$$ well spent.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJLs4AYaBr3pZQW-iOLj-MibYfvakdpZRpyY-L9_DCz7WHiIdFkeakTJPMw38hZtORJd50zx-mhgwIOBndnANL-tvV2jwoupUtLcqhPoB9t0O-fjDBzC54O7_87KTZpctRFJs_ZL57YDI/s1600/tom-fit-pre-position-081114.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJLs4AYaBr3pZQW-iOLj-MibYfvakdpZRpyY-L9_DCz7WHiIdFkeakTJPMw38hZtORJd50zx-mhgwIOBndnANL-tvV2jwoupUtLcqhPoB9t0O-fjDBzC54O7_87KTZpctRFJs_ZL57YDI/s1600/tom-fit-pre-position-081114.jpg" height="425" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Original position, wearing the 3D reference points</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5zL5EPi2GLiRfQ2XNVW_6SJRYiAb9mJp9Tcy9bVSrv42uGaoaLE-bMG0Io-86REQfdF8s11D3iD1wubatA2krm0UzC_REY9kPcdWz7QRdUc-tf1SmVk1Gtqxe1NASmQAf6_3NjTjWt3M/s1600/tom-post-position-3d-081114.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlIa_wW1znAAWlAYaoD57lVJNpFa4QntYS4BJVcbsyLL7eSwACo6CeJ9bEMHACyIhnvmFwAhkFIr1mniRfrHHTFUdkuHV6Jv6Du0xZ-2JVOWX306QipRjlboW9PEHnv7nHzKbzc_klK5M/s1600/tom-computer-model-fitting-081114.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlIa_wW1znAAWlAYaoD57lVJNpFa4QntYS4BJVcbsyLL7eSwACo6CeJ9bEMHACyIhnvmFwAhkFIr1mniRfrHHTFUdkuHV6Jv6Du0xZ-2JVOWX306QipRjlboW9PEHnv7nHzKbzc_klK5M/s1600/tom-computer-model-fitting-081114.jpg" height="372" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Computer modeling of old position. Max knee angle a tight 132 degrees--far from optimal. So much for DIY fitting...</td></tr>
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<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5zL5EPi2GLiRfQ2XNVW_6SJRYiAb9mJp9Tcy9bVSrv42uGaoaLE-bMG0Io-86REQfdF8s11D3iD1wubatA2krm0UzC_REY9kPcdWz7QRdUc-tf1SmVk1Gtqxe1NASmQAf6_3NjTjWt3M/s1600/tom-post-position-3d-081114.jpg" height="480" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New position, flatter back, head below the line of the back, knee angle approaching 150 degrees. Not quite Sebastian Kienle, but closer.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfPqNxh11CVopuUS1GOMvoONJ3GUIvQ_l9hkr5BUGWWFuDW49TMwJTXV29Ya8zpVo7WPj2uUG6WO_WI2I57HpF4-qP8Md1qdVFKt1niG1L5oPTUonMoSZKSjjyoseMQW5-69gJf-0DEjg/s1600/tom-fit-kask-helmet.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfPqNxh11CVopuUS1GOMvoONJ3GUIvQ_l9hkr5BUGWWFuDW49TMwJTXV29Ya8zpVo7WPj2uUG6WO_WI2I57HpF4-qP8Md1qdVFKt1niG1L5oPTUonMoSZKSjjyoseMQW5-69gJf-0DEjg/s1600/tom-fit-kask-helmet.jpg" height="462" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In the wind tunnel, trialing a shorter tailed helmet and a new kit. Long-tailed helmet was worse. Getting blasted in the face with quick-moving air was exhilarating!</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlTXwAmPOI_O9LMNNo-0nRsYiBtf2DxmgVgqMCpPVo6KGypWzoZejrSnv-Bc-THgNSVOJP5-Yv48wdBQtbyCLZ32WNK33M0iZE7Xnoa7yxkPpcqqyfDStcYAv_jmmsytTurbkOWFhdKso/s1600/tom-fit-imaz-kit-081114.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlTXwAmPOI_O9LMNNo-0nRsYiBtf2DxmgVgqMCpPVo6KGypWzoZejrSnv-Bc-THgNSVOJP5-Yv48wdBQtbyCLZ32WNK33M0iZE7Xnoa7yxkPpcqqyfDStcYAv_jmmsytTurbkOWFhdKso/s1600/tom-fit-imaz-kit-081114.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The "final answer," my original helmet plus a new, snug Castelli kit, aerobars up to 15 degrees. 2750 grams of drag. Per Aaron, this is "definitely competitive for someone my size," and almost 300 less than even the new position started in the wind tunnel. Likely to be notably less with a Zipp 808 up front and a disc wheel in back!</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5zL5EPi2GLiRfQ2XNVW_6SJRYiAb9mJp9Tcy9bVSrv42uGaoaLE-bMG0Io-86REQfdF8s11D3iD1wubatA2krm0UzC_REY9kPcdWz7QRdUc-tf1SmVk1Gtqxe1NASmQAf6_3NjTjWt3M/s1600/tom-post-position-3d-081114.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
<br />Dr. Quighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00166923955947444169noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1737636495022038190.post-81975625707307875722014-07-03T19:46:00.000-07:002014-07-04T19:45:19.819-07:00Race Report: Touch Alcatraz And Go!!Our Low-Altitude, Low Temperature training camp this month, at the In-Laws' house in Marin County, CA put us right next to the San Francisco Bay. An open water swim or two was definitely part of the plan, but Karen found an organized swim from San Francisco's Aquatic Park to Alcatraz and back, which was just too cool for me to resist: <br />
<br />
<a href="http://waterworldswim.com/swims-events/touch-alcatraz-n-go/">http://waterworldswim.com/swims-events/touch-alcatraz-n-go/</a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6Po02AYNA9Izyk1q5ZtgVcrZTFlI3f1UN9_m6G5Q0obct1qDeY_pY0BzNIKKPlH-j_K8AACoHKLEj-GaWGyBWJeWps2jDmoOXuzwqMc7VP0rYVnKITyj9VA_Qmdj8PgQB9WhWRDcBSo0/s1600/images.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6Po02AYNA9Izyk1q5ZtgVcrZTFlI3f1UN9_m6G5Q0obct1qDeY_pY0BzNIKKPlH-j_K8AACoHKLEj-GaWGyBWJeWps2jDmoOXuzwqMc7VP0rYVnKITyj9VA_Qmdj8PgQB9WhWRDcBSo0/s1600/images.jpg" /></a></div>
Between the movie <u>Escape From Alcatraz</u> and the triathlon of the same name, I've always found this swim to be particularly enticing, yet intimidating, with famously cold water and currents created by the tide washing in and out of the Bay under the nearby Golden Gate bridge. I was asked about sharks, but for whatever reason, I'm not worried about them.<br />
<br />
A quick trip over the Golden Gate bridge early on Saturday got me to the SF Aquatic Park. We congregated and discussed the race--from the Aquatic Park to Alcatraz and back, 2.5 miles, right at high tide to minimize the Bay's famous currents.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnEyO2kRV9Z2Yy-31HDeKozFhyphenhyphen0McBmzLmyRA5XakuHq7DTO3YIBVa5AOeeoJnbhIOyf7ZB7XXMs_Kv2JlwmVRIUwMnsfxzGzNnNx2MXmGyvw-erF1ZxyV7t_krukL9DIhUxuAz2zZfzk/s1600/200d6w6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnEyO2kRV9Z2Yy-31HDeKozFhyphenhyphen0McBmzLmyRA5XakuHq7DTO3YIBVa5AOeeoJnbhIOyf7ZB7XXMs_Kv2JlwmVRIUwMnsfxzGzNnNx2MXmGyvw-erF1ZxyV7t_krukL9DIhUxuAz2zZfzk/s1600/200d6w6.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">1.25 miles to the Rock!</td></tr>
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<br />
<br />
People introduced themselves, and finished with two numbers. One said, "26 and 27." Another, "40 and 41." <i>Split times?</i> I wondered. No, someone explained, total Alcatraz crossings. <br />
<br />
After a prayer led by the coach, we lined up. I splashed water on my face. Cold, but at 60 degrees, no worse than Lake Coeur D'Alene in June of 2012. Then we were off. A few strokes, a goggle adjustment, a few more strokes, and I was in the game. No more fear of finishing, freezing, feeding the sharks. There were numerous support kayakers in the water, and there was always at least one nearby. Sighting out to Alcatraz and the boat was easy. The boat that we touched, sitting parallel to Alcatraz, came up quickly, probably with a current assist. The slower pace of the way back confirmed this. Ghirardelli Square seemed to remain in place no matter how many times I looked up.<br />
<br />
A misjudgement in sighting references left me a couple hundred yards East of the mouth of Aquatic Park, so I got a little extra racing for my money. Finally, I paddled into the finish 2.5+ miles later, 1 hour, 6 minutes, and 55 seconds later, in 4th place:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2sIbIrGhmyiYD795RZlwMGsUWw3s7MJAdLOKgi-MF4Gma1nV6pypfVW751XSJhCPrqU7TDs9ceSkxbKUQumJtFNPAsHqdqShgAFQDvlLjxTZ5EU_gfS0Izxo237846yj2lAPf230ai4s/s1600/alcatraz1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2sIbIrGhmyiYD795RZlwMGsUWw3s7MJAdLOKgi-MF4Gma1nV6pypfVW751XSJhCPrqU7TDs9ceSkxbKUQumJtFNPAsHqdqShgAFQDvlLjxTZ5EU_gfS0Izxo237846yj2lAPf230ai4s/s1600/alcatraz1.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Greeting a fellow traveler afterwards</td></tr>
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The official video: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ClusQC_ZEs">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ClusQC_ZEs</a><br />
<br />
This was a very well-run, enjoyable, safe experience. I'd recommend it for anyone who thinks they can do the distance. $260 wasn't cheap, but neither is renting a big boat, or appropriate kayak support for a field limited to 20 people. I'd definitely do another.Dr. Quighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00166923955947444169noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1737636495022038190.post-49602436895348263692014-05-03T03:17:00.001-07:002014-05-11T18:56:17.607-07:00Whiskey Offroad 50 Miler<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">This is a </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">popular </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">local ride that attracts world-class talent on the high end. Karen's growing enthusiasm for MTB got us excited enough enough to sign up, and given my proclivities, I opted for the longer distance/better workout. This was definitely a C to C- race for me, but the length fo the race inspired Coach Bill Daniell to throw in some specific training for it. 50 miles on a MTB is not a trivial undertaking. I'd logged 45 miles in 4 hours at local MTB spot <a href="http://www.sdmb.org/trails/fantasy-island/" target="_blank">"Fantasy Island,"</a> done a 4 hour ride at the more technical <a href="http://www.sdmb.org/trails/starr-pass/" target="_blank">Star Pass</a> area to see if I could still negotiate obstacles when my brain started turning to mush, and otherwise felt pretty good about all around fitness.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">We pulled into Prescott's historic downtown area the previous night, and all appeared well. But weather.com was less optimistic:</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-Ux3WDq2sd8OS9TrSIokGKXJAt5gQTwSdGFnXeEnFQaWNwyDwEB5Bu2iFydCRHj_U_vG9UWulsxVeazs3UNCflGdY_aodmRKusdgPasZU1MUDt2Hiijn6ho-SVi8MT-RLYIZBEnCoT18/s1600/j139rr.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-Ux3WDq2sd8OS9TrSIokGKXJAt5gQTwSdGFnXeEnFQaWNwyDwEB5Bu2iFydCRHj_U_vG9UWulsxVeazs3UNCflGdY_aodmRKusdgPasZU1MUDt2Hiijn6ho-SVi8MT-RLYIZBEnCoT18/s1600/j139rr.jpg" height="242" width="320" /></a></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"> Having done my only other MTB race in the rain, and having gone backcountry/x-country skiing and snowshoeing many times, I knew the weather would be manageable with the proper gear. In this case, that was smartwool and bike shorts under a rainproof jacket and pants, with shoe covers over Hokas (platform pedals without cleats, for now. . .), backcountry ski gloves, and with extra layers for top, bottom, and head in the backpack. Nutrition was 100 oz. of IM perform with a couple extra scoops of maltodextrin and baking soda to neutralize the acid, plus enough to make another refill, about 350 calories/hour. This concoction has made my twitchy, reflux-prone tummy much happier than just Perform by itself. I had a Clif Bar in case I needed it, but planned to go liquid only, as with Ironman.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">We self-seeded at the start line according to posted categories. The "Nervous, but I got this" category spoke to me. The "Faster than Most of My Friends" category spoke to me as well, but not so kindly. . . I appeared to be one of the few fully geared up at the starting line, which made me wonder if I'd overdone it. Many had just lycra tops and bottoms, some with a garbage bag on top. This was probably pretty appropriate for what the weather was at that moment: 40-ish degrees and drizzling.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">The rifle shot sounded, and we were off, climbing out of the city on the Tarmac for 5 miles. "Possible Wintry Mix" for weather turned out to be far more "wintry"
than mix. Pretty much as soon as we got on the
trail, it went from drizzling to snowing to hailing like crazy. 1-2"
accumulated; the Garmin showed temps right around 28-30F for the first
half of the race, and winds up on top of the mountain were steady at 20
mph with 30-50 mph gusts. I got wet eventually, but at some point it occurred to me that
being wet itself wasn't making me cold, as the wind wasn't getting through,
and water wasn't running freely over my skin. Go figure that a tri geek would
get the clothing piece right. . .but I am a winter sports geek too. Initially, the riders in front carved a muddy track in the accumulated hail, but after awhile, it just stayed frozen. As with my first race, these were new conditions for me: On the job training. </span></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpwTEfTifbQ_nzcLBNg1YrRkqa-_nGB7y3RHs8RmdkvnoJHjiae5YGR8kCWHOeVLIdUipMLdV_l7k5d61FkOQjOFAATwMBOdWWNXKSfeHFmNtKZ_ZmkDmKC6ZySLRfMHAYy6ZZWfUmGko/s1600/tom+whiskey+50+turn+042614.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpwTEfTifbQ_nzcLBNg1YrRkqa-_nGB7y3RHs8RmdkvnoJHjiae5YGR8kCWHOeVLIdUipMLdV_l7k5d61FkOQjOFAATwMBOdWWNXKSfeHFmNtKZ_ZmkDmKC6ZySLRfMHAYy6ZZWfUmGko/s1600/tom+whiskey+50+turn+042614.jpg" height="374" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Interesting" conditions!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />The
only thing that made me contemplate DNFing was serious face pain from
the wind/cold, and getting pelted by horizontal hail from above, and
flung-up mud from below. I'd prepared for hypothermia, but not so much
frostbite. There were some seriously hypothermic peeps out there. One
dude was sitting next to his bike alongside the trail, vacantly staring
at his hands, clearly out of it. A few of us made sure that
he got back to the aid station. As I reached the turnoff to the spur for the 50 mile race, the decision on how to proceed loomed. Turning right would mean only completing the 25 mile course; turning left meant riding down, then back up the big hill and doing the whole 50 mile course; and then there was the aid station, where many riders were eating, drinking, warming up in a tent, and generally getting more comfortable.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoJbbeM4bJQPA4mBKobVTlbzqn0zxRjVXZWYjRdM6KB5n3afMiXqu-4TBTD7OTVpRCnfhkenh0r55F6pOClsM-aNHZWkxLmj_bi9H3yPV6vyhRqk4u9ZnCbmGLSjEf608OMYVJnbUoxhY/s1600/2012_Whiskey_MAP_50.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoJbbeM4bJQPA4mBKobVTlbzqn0zxRjVXZWYjRdM6KB5n3afMiXqu-4TBTD7OTVpRCnfhkenh0r55F6pOClsM-aNHZWkxLmj_bi9H3yPV6vyhRqk4u9ZnCbmGLSjEf608OMYVJnbUoxhY/s1600/2012_Whiskey_MAP_50.jpg" height="409" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">I did a quick survey: muddy, wet from head to toe, but warm enough, hydrated enough, well loaded up on sugary salt water. No real reason to stop. Ignoring the siren song of a shorter course or the comfortable aid station, I turned straight down the spur. Riding downhill made the hail pelt my face even faster, and the mud fly up in greater quantity. But after a couple of miles, we made it to the other side of the storm cell, and the course actually got fun. The aid station at the end of the spur was a little slice of heaven. I got an improvised chain cleaning and lube with motor oil, a few pretzels, and, unfortunately, a Camelbak refill of Roctane, which I'd never used. My mildly impaired fingers spilled the refill of my personal concoction all over the ground. . .</span></span><br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2VK7K5uABeRLw6Lo55AmArs0kncdbQp4i8a046fiih41dR6a0003dCCXDAncnJclu87PKDlrytb3HhWgQGg4IufjuSdOhWUgraWqAoFwwYHu9E76t4VFhnwiFBlqWDi1Bx5K73sRhlAc/s1600/tom+whiskey+50+mtb+riding+042614.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2VK7K5uABeRLw6Lo55AmArs0kncdbQp4i8a046fiih41dR6a0003dCCXDAncnJclu87PKDlrytb3HhWgQGg4IufjuSdOhWUgraWqAoFwwYHu9E76t4VFhnwiFBlqWDi1Bx5K73sRhlAc/s1600/tom+whiskey+50+mtb+riding+042614.jpg" height="640" width="374" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
Climbing back up the hill was, unsurprisingly, a great workout. Those of us riding up banded together and talked to pass the time. The last 12 miles of the course was back to singletrack. I took it a little slower than normal, as I felt pretty tired, and didn't quite trust my judgment on obstacles. Finishing was heavenly. Lunch was even more so.<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxl7yj2xXN3yVOHByRIh5Q7caYZmTgVuKfoRQ1Ml8l-ek5K8kYbR9szKIAF_hyphenhyphenD-rDMcS8fAXbSsL_1S-m5Iud00U4IzEV2fFCzEkHRmva5CCRedvbvcIamhrMXV9JdyZPzNHH0Cvjt34/s1600/tom-prescott-mud-042614.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxl7yj2xXN3yVOHByRIh5Q7caYZmTgVuKfoRQ1Ml8l-ek5K8kYbR9szKIAF_hyphenhyphenD-rDMcS8fAXbSsL_1S-m5Iud00U4IzEV2fFCzEkHRmva5CCRedvbvcIamhrMXV9JdyZPzNHH0Cvjt34/s1600/tom-prescott-mud-042614.jpg" height="640" width="425" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I guess it's not a "Belfie" if my wife took it. . .<br />
But it is most definitely a dirty pic.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />Karen
was going to do the 25 mile race, which started later, but it kept
getting delayed, and shortened, so she bagged it and opted for a trail
ride today. I think also she was worried re me given the conditions.
Sweet, but I'm also a preparedness geek. </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">I finished in 6 hrs and 3 minutes, 256th out of 348 finishers and about 700 starters, 52/72 in the M45+ "Masters'" finishers: Definitely not DFL, like my <a href="http://www.absolutebikes.net/mtn_race/" target="_blank">first MTB race</a>!!</span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"> There were 43% Fewer finishers than last year, so I'd guess a DNF rate of at least 50%.</span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
I'd definitely do this race again. Even with similar weather.Dr. Quighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00166923955947444169noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1737636495022038190.post-40152434783047589132014-04-22T20:19:00.001-07:002014-04-22T20:19:30.153-07:00Bear Canyon Trail Run Photos2+ hr trail run up Bear Cyn nearby. Steep and rocky.
Garmin called it 1768 ft elevation gain over 6 mi (then down). Probably
2/3 running, 1/3 "Relentless Forward Progress," like the book.<br /><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqf4o2UAPryTKvNlhhs9-_w-uWGgEC47gqp5hCe4ENrTwuYhrT_RFERPXREYjldSQz7PDMp7saEmcPCrczk9wRaBulVu5vzIEzAWR7XTMnZkL1igXzz9VHdu_fhma3t6fS-BbTYGoH-jw/s1600/bear-canyon-top-view-042014.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The view. Switchbacks up from the wash on the left side.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvEGxiLsJW9_Rl_mkqla9GeOx2hNJBBH5pIL4kniahfHug4BHxGIlCW2lmBUQ1GVAq3ZYWVyKZhWed1pcIL8vlHN6B5kdK8_FyA48hI93Y2FdQknyk6puWMTzTTSlNEmRQ1IB9bHI5vXQ/s1600/backlit-saguaros-with-ocotillos-042014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvEGxiLsJW9_Rl_mkqla9GeOx2hNJBBH5pIL4kniahfHug4BHxGIlCW2lmBUQ1GVAq3ZYWVyKZhWed1pcIL8vlHN6B5kdK8_FyA48hI93Y2FdQknyk6puWMTzTTSlNEmRQ1IB9bHI5vXQ/s1600/backlit-saguaros-with-ocotillos-042014.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Backlit Saguaros and Ocotillo blooms (orange) </td></tr>
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<br />Dr. Quighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00166923955947444169noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1737636495022038190.post-5864665459062843922014-01-14T07:50:00.002-08:002014-01-14T07:50:44.991-08:00Quintana Roo Bike FeatureMy bike was featured by Q-Roo!!: <br />
<br />
http://quintanarootri.blogspot.com/2014/01/tom-quigley-and-his-qr-illicito.htmlDr. Quighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00166923955947444169noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1737636495022038190.post-17687921044525240712013-12-23T18:01:00.000-08:002013-12-28T04:43:40.181-08:00Post-Booger and Food Poisoning Running Extravaganza<div id="wrapper" style="width: 90%;">
The gang is skiing up in
Flagstaff, so I'm doing the flexible bachelor schedule thing for
48 hours, meaning, when it's still fun. I had a nice run: home to top
of Sabino Cyn and back after work, 14.6 mi with 2,000-ish feet of
elevation gain, in just a little over 2hr. Like many first runs/rides
back from idleness, it felt like a bit of an exorcism.<br />
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I
started out feeling truly crappy, like I was covered in a thick layer
of fat and boogers, which makes sense given the last few days. Didn't
get much better, form didn't really click, and I finished feeling like I
was covered in a layer of fat, boogers, sweat, and sports drink. But I
finshed pretty strong. And the views were nice:<br />
<br />
Coming down Sabino Canyon:<br />
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Almost home. Ventana Cyn at sunset. There's a nice hotel there.<br />
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Time for dinner in front of the TV.</div>
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Dr. Quighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00166923955947444169noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1737636495022038190.post-80208420351094656512013-12-06T20:41:00.000-08:002013-12-10T10:09:47.894-08:00IMAZ 2013 RR: Sub-10 and Tenth in M45-49!!<style>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjehoFtg7ghKYPiHEhI8VXCjPmXB0meHBKCczAm8Y8ChA8RlE9FjUQixB2J9A6DASSILXrjzUuVrD4Pbr32OH5olvz4YhaqX2xldPvGSwshKojodhfBqJtuNx7-EvdaLFipOMFzHqQrsKY/s1600/Tom-IMAZ-finish-111713.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjehoFtg7ghKYPiHEhI8VXCjPmXB0meHBKCczAm8Y8ChA8RlE9FjUQixB2J9A6DASSILXrjzUuVrD4Pbr32OH5olvz4YhaqX2xldPvGSwshKojodhfBqJtuNx7-EvdaLFipOMFzHqQrsKY/s640/Tom-IMAZ-finish-111713.jpg" width="424" /></a></div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
10/292 in M45-49, 144/2700-ish overall. Yep, that's the punch line, and a happy one!</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
But
first things first. The race itself: If you're reading this not
because you have an abiding interest in relatively benign endurance sports-based midlife crises, but because you're considering doing an Ironman, then let me get right to the point: This race is the best, period. It's a <a href="http://www.ironman.com/triathlon-news/articles/2012/11/ironman-arizona-sells-out.aspx#axzz2mAFwTPnP">pain in the neck to get into the race,</a> but it's worth it. <a href="http://www.ironman.com/triathlon/events/americas/ironman/arizona.aspx#axzz2mAFwTPnP">IMAZ</a>
has moderate temperatures, great race support, a flat course, and a hub
airport right nearby. And if you're local, an M-dot branded IM within
driving distance is money in the bank. Unfortunately, so many people
agree with this sentiment. Many sign up almost two years ahead of time
to volunteer a year beforehand instead of paying the $1400-ish dollars
for a foundation spot one year in advance. Try to register 51 weeks
ahead of time, and you just may be out of luck. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
There
are a few seasoned endurance athletes who grumble that IMAZ is too
easy, but that's a hollow argument for just about everybody, and a false
dichotomy for most of those who remain. Doing IMAZ doesn't preclude
you from doing Norseman, IM Lake Tahoe, or their ilk. Soak up IMAZ's
flatness, its pleasantness, its SPEED! </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Now to the race itself.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Pre-race:</div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://triathlon.competitor.com/2013/11/photos/photos-2013-ironman-arizona-age-groupers_90245" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" target="_blank"><img alt="The steed on Triathlete Magazine" border="0" height="520" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjoVtVFSp1UuCkGxD4sYQQ4a5Xtu4TUKJHI_3imSumgYrB_d9aBRXsFVGhmHsUmxEAtlAEu9L_Erg-4p3sod5S8FYjirSpLoFjwur6pBb9RipFUuBBboaDhfIWLN5sBCi7nUiJxRVuK2U/s640/triathpic1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> The steed got a little press from:<br />
<a href="http://triathlon.competitor.com/2013/11/photos/photos-2013-ironman-arizona-age-groupers_90245">http://triathlon.competitor.com/2013/11/photos/photos-2013-ironman-arizona-age-groupers_90245</a></td></tr>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
Unlike
last year, I got my gear and life together several days ahead of time.
I didn't go to work on the morning of the final day of check-in. This
saved much anguish. The only smarter thing I did was <a href="http://endorphins-for-breakfast.blogspot.com/2012/12/ironman-az-race-report-ironman-for-two.html">not doing the race at the same time as my wife and fellow parent of three children</a>. Some things seem so obvious in hindsight. But not flailing around like a one-legged man in a butt kicking contest clearly left me more rested and energized for the race. A good night's sleep, a bunch of caffeine, and a big bowl of oatmeal also helped.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Swim:</div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpcgGAhgIXTydc1aF438CDcO0FBX9YYnmu-l3QnwOPv0XFVOjIHnM71cRYLRf_YXKqNrW7E55F9TSl3hDfziOszeRl4gL1PB-qDDjmFubL7CJKO9AmhHx40D41H2VJ1vczKN7CcLg4mY8/s1600/IMAZ-swim-from-kayak-111713.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpcgGAhgIXTydc1aF438CDcO0FBX9YYnmu-l3QnwOPv0XFVOjIHnM71cRYLRf_YXKqNrW7E55F9TSl3hDfziOszeRl4gL1PB-qDDjmFubL7CJKO9AmhHx40D41H2VJ1vczKN7CcLg4mY8/s400/IMAZ-swim-from-kayak-111713.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View of the swim from Karen's Kayak</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The swim remains a mass start from the water, preceded by several minutes of bobbing and shivering. The
goal was to get away from the crowds as quickly as possible, but this didn’t
really happen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Prerace visualizations involved majestically
soaring to the front of the swim pack with long, smooth strokes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Reality more closely resembled a mosh
pit, more so than the previous year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The first twenty minutes
were bumpy, and I had to deliberately reel myself in, calm down, and slow down.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Things spread out more, and I got a good amount of open
water on the second half.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I finished in
59:46, not as fast as last year, but under an hour.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
T1 was faster than last year, which made up for the slower
swim.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I didn’t fool around with
compression socks or any other gimmicky nonsense.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Helmet, shoes, stow the wetsuit, go.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitPcB50242m1YlJN1NzNqc2hRRbBfmZanrdq-UAChY4kQ2x-BqHMcm5HX87FduGp3zqREjOlKNU5ZEaXaUrxWhzmtXLB_TdYBRkler5tJ_Wr3BHSRqkFThHGUbYvSIBm-kvkXuEMfFo1Y/s1600/Tom-IMAZ-Bike-Hang-Loose-111713.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitPcB50242m1YlJN1NzNqc2hRRbBfmZanrdq-UAChY4kQ2x-BqHMcm5HX87FduGp3zqREjOlKNU5ZEaXaUrxWhzmtXLB_TdYBRkler5tJ_Wr3BHSRqkFThHGUbYvSIBm-kvkXuEMfFo1Y/s400/Tom-IMAZ-Bike-Hang-Loose-111713.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just a little ride. . .</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The first of three laps of the bike was about getting loose
and settled.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>HR was about 6-10 BPM
higher than what I’d seen on long rides.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I stayed right at goal wattage, and by the turnaround, I was starting to
settle in and feel comfortable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’d
hoped to crack 5 hours, and the first lap wound up at 1:40.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Right on target.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nutrition (<a href="http://www.infinitnutrition.us/productcart/pc/viewCategories.asp?idCategory=9" target="_blank">Infinit Custom</a>) was going down faster
than expected, and I worried a little that my elevated HR indicated higher energy consumption and glycogen depletion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>During the second
lap, I picked up the extra nutrition bottle from special needs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
I also noticed that I, and some of my competitors, were
picking up “friends,” some of whom kept the required 4 bike length distance,
some of whom didn’t.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
shamelessness of some of the drafting I saw amazed me: one woman who wound up winning her age group
and punching a Kona ticket, stayed less than a bike length behind the rider in
front of her for more than a whole lap.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Another pro did the same.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> At any rate, </span>lap #2
went down in 1:38.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even though I’d been
keeping a legal distance, my average power dropped 10 watts for the same speed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I mused at the energy
savings the true wheelsuckers were getting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
<br />
At the turnaround, I spotted the fam and we exchanged cheers, which was heartening.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
The sense of impending marathon on lap #3 got me
worried.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This led to a couple of
decisions—one good, one bad.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I eased off
on my pace just a little, which was good, and I sucked down a bunch of
nutrition in the last 10 miles, which turned out not to be so good.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I finished in 5:00:38, almost exactly as
planned, and 39 tantalizing seconds away from sub-5 hours.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-DTadZ0qJAiJzzhzyOG6j0G-tlF1wajrYIQYhJNxhmv61NR87LfvpGA6vQQmM-060tKz7eAbTxcYYzrgi_-BPogPNl3Lykak6N4ojuwYvADIVfZHgIpakMvVMFg1dWKqnJrHzR7a-N1E/s1600/tom-bike-dismount-IMAZ-111713.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-DTadZ0qJAiJzzhzyOG6j0G-tlF1wajrYIQYhJNxhmv61NR87LfvpGA6vQQmM-060tKz7eAbTxcYYzrgi_-BPogPNl3Lykak6N4ojuwYvADIVfZHgIpakMvVMFg1dWKqnJrHzR7a-N1E/s400/tom-bike-dismount-IMAZ-111713.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">T2: Where you realize that wanting to be done with a 112 mile bike ride and <br />
wanting to run a marathon are not necessarily the same thing. . .</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
T2 involved a little more fumbling than expected.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The waistpack/hat bundle that had netted me a
laser-quick transition at the Soma 70.3 triathlon last month seemed somehow less
intuitive, and I got out in 2:28.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-LMVeFHCNs2n6O6unDlViE1ZCmndkFsF3bxx86YRsIdIEN8uzF_25xjyLO3jcvpIYYNs_ChB_YbYmksWojwZdFzkZRf21izhq5SC4giYHn_-W02hXOTWUkKqqtKMvOf4qWCrlM4I5Xy0/s1600/dad-IMAZ-run-smile-111713.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-LMVeFHCNs2n6O6unDlViE1ZCmndkFsF3bxx86YRsIdIEN8uzF_25xjyLO3jcvpIYYNs_ChB_YbYmksWojwZdFzkZRf21izhq5SC4giYHn_-W02hXOTWUkKqqtKMvOf4qWCrlM4I5Xy0/s640/dad-IMAZ-run-smile-111713.jpg" width="425" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Only 4 miles into it, and still running strong.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
My previous two Ironman marathons were basically solid three
mile transition runs followed by 23 mile sufferfests.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>More consistency on long rides and runs this
year led me to hope that I could avoid this fate, and run well all the way
through.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> But </span>I<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>felt full, sloshy, and heartburn pretty
much right away.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Keeping the focus on
form, I drank what I could: mostly water.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Infinit was hard to stomach.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This
was worrisome <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and a little perplexing,
as I’d done the same runs and rides with my current fuel in training, without
the symptoms I was experiencing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In
hindsight, I’d probably taken in more calories on the bike than I had in
training.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But
the first 13.1 went relatively well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Curry Hill flew by under me, barely noticed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With a slightly higher than expected HR, I
was holding right around 8 minute miles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Right on target.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It seemed like
my goal of going sub-10 hours was in the bag, and I wondered how close I could
get to the 9:30 range.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
But then I began to slow.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Inability to hydrate or get down calories was catching up with me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By mile 17, I decided to walk the aid stations
so I could drink two waters and cokes at each, in the hope of catching up and
getting re-energized.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It helped a
little.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The temptation to give up and do
serious walking loomed large.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Again, I
hadn’t imagined this much of a struggle this soon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My goals were in peril if not lost.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But it there’s one thing medical residency
training has taught me, it’s to carry on as well as possible in less than
perfect circumstances no matter how grim things looked.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I set aside my nascent whininess, brought my mind back to technique, and
started a gratitude list in my mind.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Still healthy, still married, still employed, still alive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How bad could any self-inflicted discomfort
really be, relative to the pain and misfortune I get to see patients and
families experience every day at work?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Soon I was a little happier/weepier/punchier, if not faster.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTcshyeU4rEU6k-cTRvjnhqa-53a_1iZLKvwn3pdr53dLBVtXvNIqYRf46PAUxHFO6SZlvkIMA6vTYMPyA3r0CqNUhNefslwWEf2DnHWZAG3KD_00Wd2KjyhtUZpL69fs06h4eW7PdrkI/s320/three-kids-with-signs-at-IMAZ-111713.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The rooting section!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
I decided to run through the aid stations at miles 23-25
with minimal hydration.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not enough fluid
might be a problem, but fluid was making me cramp, so I figured it would be
a wash.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At mile 25, I finally glanced at
the overall time on my watch, which I’d been avoiding for the whole run.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>9:48.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
1.2 miles in </span>12 minutes to get to the finish line under 10 hours! I knew if I pushed
it, I’d make it. I also knew it would really hurt: I’d kept my pace just below
the cramping/nauseous threshold, and this was a deliberate venture into that
realm.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hopefully it wouldn’t
backfire.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">But I told myself, </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Temporary suffering’s
got nothing on knowing I could’ve gone sub-10 and didn’t give it my all. . .</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
I cranked it in pretty hard.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>At mile 26, a spectator said that I had three minutes to finish under 10
hours.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I didn’t look at the watch, as I
was going as hard as I could, and feeling it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Coming up towards the chute, my buddy Vince greeted me with a fusillade
of shutter clicks and a smile.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I did my
best impression of a smile in return.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Turning into the chute, I saw the clock at the finish, mere yards away:
9:58:34.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was going to make it under
10! As much as it hurt, I ran hard through the finish.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>9:58:59!!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I was elated.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRYoQTGMVRgqKXmb4pp4aR_CMz_-9IpYYlM1-Yh_xORd7SHu5v2BmloNIwpUUO-Uwjx3KnrHSoQgIhs7TJmtUhyphenhyphenF_7QMZtuVIdolZgqQoc9cxmis5UdJG78zJx0Jo9NrNdoycKV5ODiEc/s1600/tom-medical-with-fam-and-bill-111713.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRYoQTGMVRgqKXmb4pp4aR_CMz_-9IpYYlM1-Yh_xORd7SHu5v2BmloNIwpUUO-Uwjx3KnrHSoQgIhs7TJmtUhyphenhyphenF_7QMZtuVIdolZgqQoc9cxmis5UdJG78zJx0Jo9NrNdoycKV5ODiEc/s400/tom-medical-with-fam-and-bill-111713.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Warming up in Medical</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The volunteer who helped me sit down afterwards wound up
leading me to the medical tent when I began shivering uncontrollably.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I got wrapped up in a blanket and fed chicken
soup while he got my morning clothes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Vince, coach Bill Daniell, and the family visited with me while I warmed
up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Later was an unhinged sushi fest,
followed by a well-earned lazy evening. Mission accomplished!<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
To take stock briefly: PR by 40 minutes, 30 minutes faster
on the run, right on pace for the bike, a hair slower on the swim.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nutrition was better, but still in need of
significant improvement.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Antacids, more
nutrition on the bike, less nutrition on the bike. . .it’s not clear to me what’s
best.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But the good news is that there’s
some chance that I may not have to wait to turn 50 to contemplate a serious run
at a Kona slot. . .tune in next year.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Battle scars, or something like that: </div>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyiMqufsHaWtOKNL7aSU8AtRlr8-7Ct2RDiXQrS0PjfKNdQDxcTLEfk6iAogWlIcx-eN2Y6P_dV62TosBYKtkkuFic8wNpBWmiFB3X02iJT3lbBOWoLSIlXFNIAAz9XomD_KherbYUisw/s1600/post-IMAZ-feet-111713.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="132" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyiMqufsHaWtOKNL7aSU8AtRlr8-7Ct2RDiXQrS0PjfKNdQDxcTLEfk6iAogWlIcx-eN2Y6P_dV62TosBYKtkkuFic8wNpBWmiFB3X02iJT3lbBOWoLSIlXFNIAAz9XomD_KherbYUisw/s200/post-IMAZ-feet-111713.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beat up feet</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="148" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib2rb-4gkEztjVcUk9fiRzRn16utAmPOazQNd646iz0elE73GXfIl3wjIIGpM7aFtFdFbQ5geDv01FCf4p2zB2_sxp0SPmVDtugQDtmYMUBIJYZuAiJA9X0HrywARKSz66k5SHwWz6CAE/s200/wetsuit-neck.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="200" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wetsuit abrasion</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkikK3hR3-jNW9hkySw5O0ycTAn2kknbBvWZIvtmN1aylmq1IjONerh-dBxXcyJQ9WF56N-qgGrBxSoJnZBDBAjUfnAJmmxvM-L98fY9bN-smnTSvs6B1JfCdwHrj4Bl4meJHUTTnokFc/s1600/imaz-shiner-111713.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkikK3hR3-jNW9hkySw5O0ycTAn2kknbBvWZIvtmN1aylmq1IjONerh-dBxXcyJQ9WF56N-qgGrBxSoJnZBDBAjUfnAJmmxvM-L98fY9bN-smnTSvs6B1JfCdwHrj4Bl4meJHUTTnokFc/s320/imaz-shiner-111713.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Probably got banged during the <br />
swim. And not a very manly <br />
looking bruise at that.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
In closing, I want to thank my wife and our kids for putting
up with this nuttiness.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s easy to see
in retrospect what I asked everyone to give up for a few months, but harder in
the moment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thanks also to
those who helped me get back from a hip fracture 357 days before this race to
where I am today: My Orthopedic colleague <a href="http://www.uahealth.com/physicians/jordan-l-smith-md" target="_blank">Dr. Jordan Smith</a>, who fixed it, <a href="http://www.uahealth.com/physicians/patrick-k-boyle-md" target="_blank">Dr. Pat Boyle</a>,
who too care of me, John Woolf at <a href="http://www.proactivept.com/" target="_blank">ProActiv Physical Therapy</a> for getting me
going, Melissa Hollmann at <a href="http://www.peakactionpt.com/" target="_blank">Peak Action Physical Therapy</a> for getting the hip
loose enough to really perform, <a href="http://www.roachchinesemedicine.com/" target="_blank">Charlie Roach Chinese Medicine </a>for getting the energy flowing
again, <a href="http://www.graskyendurance.com/" target="_blank">Brian Grasky</a> for extensive help with running form, <a href="http://www.felog.net/" target="_blank">Vince and the gang</a>
for the online support and numerous laughs, and coach <a href="http://www.graskyendurance.com/bill-daniell.html" target="_blank">Bill Daniell</a> for designing
a plan that did an excellent job of making the most of limited time.</div>
</div>
Dr. Quighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00166923955947444169noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1737636495022038190.post-77833171792336106082013-11-09T11:56:00.000-08:002013-11-09T11:57:34.435-08:00IMAZ 2013 Race Plan<span style="font-size: small;">
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</style><span style="font-size: small;">So on this coming Sunday November 17, I'm having another go at
Ironman. This will be number three, and my second in Tempe.
Following is my plan.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><span style="font-size: small;">But first, a season recap. It's been
a surprisingly productive year, given that I'll be 357 days post hip fracture
on race day. After a month of recovery and several more of rehab, it's been essentially injury-free.
The unintended bike focus has given me more watts to work with.
Reinventing my run form, with the personal help of coach <a href="http://www.graskyendurance.com/">Brian Grasky</a> and the virtual help of <a href="http://bobbymcgee.com/">Bobby McGee</a>, has made speed more
effortless. Swim, well, whatever. It's about the same. My coach, <a href="http://www.graskyendurance.com/bill-daniell.html">Bill Daniell</a>, is a superlatively good swimmer. Maybe some TrainingPeaks osmosis will happen.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">It's probable that consistent and unrelenting training has improved the ratio of slowtwitch to fast twitch
muscle fibers, increased the number of fat-oxidizing mitochondria in the
intracellular matrix of my myocytes, and improved the capillary density in
relevant muscle beds. But what is undoubtedly true is that systematic
neglect of upper body strength training coupled with 2 1/2 years of SBR has led
to a vast improvement in the critical and well-researched Ass to Arm Ratio (AAR). (see <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19901178">http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19901178</a>
for further details) </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><span style="font-size: small;">Yes, what used to be a fairly balanced physique is looking more and more like
that of a competitive triathlete. Observe these actual, unretouched photos:</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><span style="font-size: small;">2010: </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCHGGrcHSolwLVS0UZKNXp3IeD8h7f4MCRqi1nYpbdzXNawO4u2NuUYUwN_Klb8ctzTkpCNlBQXukf4psciDQX6_NS-9olPSl_2mf2u3nju7u3gKmoqMjxBph3-u5ZIJFd5pBhrQO5eUc/s1600/tom+tucson+half+finish+2010.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCHGGrcHSolwLVS0UZKNXp3IeD8h7f4MCRqi1nYpbdzXNawO4u2NuUYUwN_Klb8ctzTkpCNlBQXukf4psciDQX6_NS-9olPSl_2mf2u3nju7u3gKmoqMjxBph3-u5ZIJFd5pBhrQO5eUc/s320/tom+tucson+half+finish+2010.jpg" width="211" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"> 2013:</span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGKixQIAHNWR25hlIE_HDsUt_lOmCOguKzjWC1Drzwiv_fhzD3nV2WG49YGvXvWDdxm4fJvAmP4p2w5tc7q_YFk4NKkWLllvVCbj3Y9fKBm79WZK2nQ5je6BKCVaCxrYDtVcC6p7GTaFc/s1600/tribody.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGKixQIAHNWR25hlIE_HDsUt_lOmCOguKzjWC1Drzwiv_fhzD3nV2WG49YGvXvWDdxm4fJvAmP4p2w5tc7q_YFk4NKkWLllvVCbj3Y9fKBm79WZK2nQ5je6BKCVaCxrYDtVcC6p7GTaFc/s320/tribody.jpg" width="199" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span> </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><span style="font-size: small;">Plus, I've lost THREE WHOLE POUNDS since last year! Look out, world! </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><span style="font-size: small;">Anyhow, to the plan: Start off the morning the normal way, with the core
macro- and micronutrients that encourage firm and regular bowel movements: Oatmeal in
coconut water; high-dose caffeine; fluids. Maybe throw in a couple of salt
tabs for good measure. But not on the oatmeal. After distal GI tract success, it’s time to head down to Tempe Beach Park, so I can
mill around with fellow racers and urinate surreptitiously in my wetsuit while
consuming sports drink. <i>(Note to first-timers: Wet footprints on the
sidewalk are not due to anyone having pre-swum the course.) </i> </span><span style="font-size: small;">Then into the
water, where if memory serves, we bob around at the start line in the mid-to-low 60s murk of Tempe Town Lake until the race director confirms
that at least 50% of competitors have begun shivering convulsively. Then the cannon sounds. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">The
ass to arm ratio thing hurts me in the swim, but since I'm one of those
contemptibly well-reimbursed Age Group triathletes, I can afford a nice <a href="http://www.desotosport.com/category/blackpearl">DeSoto T1</a> wetsuit
that does a marvelous job of floating my disproportionately dense derriere. My swim goals are to avoid trying too
hard and wasting energy, to get clobbered and to clobber as little as possible, and
to move on to the fun stuff, AKA the bike and most of the run, ASAP. </span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">Some people think there are curves
that can be legally straightened on the swim course, and I suspect
they're right. Pre-examining the course will be key. </span></span>I went :58 last year in the swim. It’d be nice to break an hour again, but not
nice enough to work hard at it.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><span style="font-size: small;">After spending roughly an hour in the water warming up the wrong muscles, there's
nothing like a barefoot shuffle through T1 to send the HR skyrocketing.
Hopefully I can get the bike computer turned on soon enough to see if I've
managed to break my personal best for max heart rate. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><span style="font-size: small;">One key element of the bike plan is to actually have the bike computer on
the bike this year, instead of in the pocket of my morning clothes. Also, I plan to actually recharge the 310XT I’m going to use for the run. It was very retro of
me to do an electronics-free Ironman last year, but not a do-over.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><span style="font-size: small;">Mostly, the bike leg is about getting ready for the run. My plan for pre-watering the wetsuit has
got nothing on what I’m going to do to that poor bike. Priorities are: 1) Go as fast as possible
without overdoing it, and 2) Get so dang
hydrated that my back teeth will be floating by the end. This means drink, pee, drink, pee, repeat,
repeat, repeat. One thing I’m doing
differently is going fluid only (<a href="http://www.infinitnutrition.us/">Infinit
Custom</a>), all isoosmolar to hypoosmolar, depending on how much I'm sweating.
Quite possibly my previous bonks were due in some part to a high solute
load in the gut drawing fluid out of the intravascular space, and Infinit has worked flawlessly in training. And if I can manage over the next week to avoid whatever
questionable sort of food that caused untimely gastroenteritis last year, I should be good to go
from a GI point of view.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><span style="font-size: small;">The bike iteself: Same one, new paint job:</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhInOaUyxdYdS4GCwnpHDNtdLetn1a4vhOkd0obbe3wbuI4UjGiaYZjB6_8vOhqMB_09huTUQHTERUiev-VSECUYnoJjG-O4xhoHQvXEmFDOpamkBFRD-KnbLqnmlcMNwR1FxDyp2KW9Ag/s1600/frame.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhInOaUyxdYdS4GCwnpHDNtdLetn1a4vhOkd0obbe3wbuI4UjGiaYZjB6_8vOhqMB_09huTUQHTERUiev-VSECUYnoJjG-O4xhoHQvXEmFDOpamkBFRD-KnbLqnmlcMNwR1FxDyp2KW9Ag/s320/frame.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCHGGrcHSolwLVS0UZKNXp3IeD8h7f4MCRqi1nYpbdzXNawO4u2NuUYUwN_Klb8ctzTkpCNlBQXukf4psciDQX6_NS-9olPSl_2mf2u3nju7u3gKmoqMjxBph3-u5ZIJFd5pBhrQO5eUc/s1600/tom+tucson+half+finish+2010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></span></div>
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"></span><span style="font-size: small;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><span style="font-size: small;">At the turnarounds, I'll keep an eye out for the fam. But I’m well aware that watching daddy go
around in circles for ten-ish hours may very well not be on the tippy-top of our brood's
“fun” list. So I hope they enjoy the zoo
or whatever, and I’ll probably see them at the finish.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><span style="font-size: small;">I’ve got my wattage limits, and this year, I’m actually going to stick to
them. It’s unclear how fast a
well-behaved bike leg will be, but last year was 5:07, with a few minutes of
extra stop time to address aforementioned GI problems. Best guess: 5:05, + or - ten minutes. Assuming a well-executed race, this is the wild card with regards to my overall finishing time.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><span style="font-size: small;">For the run, my last two 26.2 mile death marches were neither enjoyable nor productive, and hopefully
the nutrition, pacing, and fitness problems have been solved. With any luck, my new and improved run form
will carry me as far and fast as possible before things get tough. Besting a 4:24 split should be no problem if all
goes reasonably well. I should hopefully
even go a good bit faster than 4:00. Last year was 10:39 overall, and I’m hoping to go sub-10 this year.
Given that M45-49 appears to be more stacked than the cast of Baywatch, I imagine I’d have to go a good deal faster than that to be in
contention for Kona slots or the podium.
We’ll see. Not expecting it this year,
but eternally hopeful. . . </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Most
importantly, I’m going to keep in mind that this is all optional, and all for
fun. The jerk who yelled profanities at
me on the bike last year because I didn’t hear him and finish my pass/get out
of his way quickly enough may have gotten his coveted Kona slot, but if that’s
what it takes, I’m not interested.
Nothing I do next Sunday will result in a pay raise or cut. There isn't a finishing time so fast that it will improve
my marriage, nor one so poor that it will get me sleeping on the couch. So, priorities: Fun, gratitude for health, family support and
friends, fun, fun, fun!</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><span style="font-size: small;">Except maybe the last few miles. But after
that, it’s dinnertime. For a week or
two. Which will be fun.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span>Dr. Quighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00166923955947444169noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1737636495022038190.post-60368772408514303042013-09-14T20:28:00.001-07:002013-09-14T20:29:28.207-07:00Iron Run Simulation LiteFriday was a 5.5 hr aerobic ride, and a bit of a Country/Western ride at that. I dropped my chain
twice, the power meter died, the Garmin battery ran out. Then going up
the last hill home, the chain shifted into the spokes and I keeled over
onto the pavement, getting a bit of road rash. <br />
<br />
Upon arriving home, I was relieved to see that the dog was still alive and Karen hadn't left me for a Texas cowpoke. <img alt=":)" class="smiley" src="http://www.felog.net/community/Smileys/default/smiley.gif" title="Smiley" /> <br />
<br />
I
worked last night, then put in a 2.25 hr run. To make it interesting, I
figured I'd divide it in thirds, start out easy, go medium, then see if
I had enough to kick it up to a higher gear for the last part. Poker
run versus progressive. Pace for both "laps" 1 and 2 felt sustainable.
Lap 3 effort was with the finish in mind: I knew I couldn't keep it up
much longer than the scheduled end of the run. It went pretty much as
planned, but that higher gear was more of an RPE increase than a speed
increase, as my legs were tired and the Mercury had climbed from 81 to
91 degrees. Still able to drink water/infinit for last part, just not
as much, and probably not enough for a run of more than a few miles.
Here's my little Excel breakdown:<br />
<br />
<img alt="" class="bbc_img" src="http://i39.tinypic.com/jq3xi9.jpg" /><br />
<br />
The
segment time and the time per mile differed with either segments less
than one mile or water bottle refill stops, of which there were many.
17-20 ft/mile up or down changed my pace by about 20 sec/mile, so I
adjusted accordingly to get an estimated flat pace. I was pretty happy
both with the overall pace and the fact that the first 2 laps felt very
sustainable in terms of HR, muscular endurance, and ability to get
enough fluid/calories onboard.Dr. Quighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00166923955947444169noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1737636495022038190.post-19416470079160381952013-08-27T15:17:00.001-07:002013-08-31T04:21:31.137-07:00Attack of the Killer Migraine, er, VirusYesterday was an unexpected downer. After a fairly long, <a href="http://www.beginnertriathlete.com/Enrico%20Contolini/Introduction_to_bricks.htm">brick-filled</a>
weekend of training in Flagstaff, AZ, I was slated for an easy swim in the AM. During the swim, I started to feel
a little hungover (of course without cause, other than a long run the previous
evening). Drinking water didn't help. I left the pool early due to a
splitting headache with nausea. I figured the obvious: dehydration. Work today didn't start until 3pm, so I went home and hydrated like a
fool (lessons of early college years gone by were not lost <img alt=";)" class="smiley" src="http://www.felog.net/community/Smileys/default/wink.gif" title="Wink" />).
Hydration didn't help, and I was feeling pretty wretched every time I
stood up, so by lunchtime, I called out of work.<br />
<br />
Next guess was that I had a BAMF
migraine. So despite nausea, I threw down some Advil and caffeine, which
eventually helped. A head full of medical factoids leads one to
contemplate all sorts of heinous possibilities, but I reined it in. It
was a migraine, plain and simple. When you hear hoof beats, think horses, not zebras. Unless you're in Africa.<br />
<br />
Haven't had a migraine since late teens. But it's suddenly
time to figure out how to avoid 'em. Realistically, I did a bunch of
stressful things in the last 48 hours, and one of them, or some of them in combo, was/were
the trigger:<br />
<br />
--3 Hr. Mt. Bike race Saturday, followed by 20 minute run <br />
--Long hypothermic bike ride on Sunday in Flagstaff, AZ: 4.25 hrs in 50 degrees and rain.<br />
--Long, normothermic car ride back to Tucson.<br />
--Long,
sweaty 1hr 22 min run Sunday night right before bed with only water, and probably not
enough. (Tucson was mid->high 80s, immediately post-rain, which is to say that it
was so farking humid that I was growing armpit and crotch moss)<br />
--Not enough fluid after run.<br />
--Generally more physical stress with IM build (big surprise there)<br />
--Not enough sleep lately (not sure that one's getting better until retirement)<br />
--Just used <a href="http://www.infinitnutrition.us/">Infinit</a> for the first time.<br />
<br />
Hopefully
it wasn't that last one, as Infinit worked quite well in all other
ways. I think its ingredients are pretty simple, so I hope not.<br />
<br />
Most
of it was dehydration, I think coupled with opposite temp stresses
(haven't really done alternating hypothermic and hyperthermic bricks). I think
it's easy to forget that it takes more than a few glasses of water at
night to rehydrate after a real sweatfest. But there's no denying that some things trigger unpleasant headaches: diet soda; anything with nitrites; anything with MSG. Dehydration may be the next item, or it may be something else.<br />
<br />
A natural part of aging, I suppose: The dietary road grows narrower. But the horizon grows broader. <br />
<br />
<i>Edit--A coworker described exactly these symptoms a few days later. His wife got it, too. Seems that the most likely cause was a virus. But I'd still say that the extreme training left me susceptible.</i> Dr. Quighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00166923955947444169noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1737636495022038190.post-8483269927673065952013-08-05T18:52:00.002-07:002013-08-05T18:52:49.218-07:00XTERRA Snow Valley, Part III: 21K Trail Run. . .in American English, that's a Half Marathon. . .<br />
<br />
The swan song for the XTERRA weekend was an trail run, on hiking/cross-country trails across the street from the Snow Valley Ski Area. It took some searching to find an elevation profile, but I found someone else's file from a race on Garmin connect.<br />
<br />
Preparing for the race was mercifully simple compared to a triathlon: Shoes, shorts, shirt, ready to go. Water bottle, holder, 310xt, iPhone and headphones, and HR strap were added as useful but unnecessary extras. Karen and the kids dropped me off and headed for Big Bear Lake for a couple hours of fishing. I was at the starting line with just a few minutes to spare. Time for a quick limber-up, and then we were off. <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmkoHl3eiqADPde55JqL6bUuxwUiGotMbSzeMTy1x_tU-Wy2JSnMDo-DpuKiVVh3H7DaKwSr6_qhpAx27HbStk4paQlJwwMtF_BKuu8rgn6nPBAszLhzWHIlSq9fjXt5AYhsamnPZOFHg/s1600/tom-xterra-trail-run-start-072813.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="262" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmkoHl3eiqADPde55JqL6bUuxwUiGotMbSzeMTy1x_tU-Wy2JSnMDo-DpuKiVVh3H7DaKwSr6_qhpAx27HbStk4paQlJwwMtF_BKuu8rgn6nPBAszLhzWHIlSq9fjXt5AYhsamnPZOFHg/s400/tom-xterra-trail-run-start-072813.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Doing some maneuvering at the start.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
My legs were initially not so thrilled about the prospect of more hill climbing. Even though I'd been drinking, eating, and replacing electrolytes religiously since the XTERRA Points tri yesterday, I still felt depleted and dehydrated. It seems to take a fair bit more than 18 hours to completely restore and rebalance fluids and electrolytes in all body compartments. No surprise there.<br />
<br />
As intended, this was going to be a good opportunity to work on running in less than optimal conditions. So I pretended it was an Ironman Marathon: focus on form; maintain a sustainable pace, and accept what my body had left without trying to force more out of it <br />
<br />
It's not always easy on the ego to let people pass me. But it is an essential lesson for racing in general, and far more so for Iron Distance racing, where going just a little too fast can lead to <a href="http://athlinks.com/result/175525/240927/102847838/121588194">miles of walking during the marathon</a>. And to be blunt about it, I need work on it. So I kept asking myself: Am I passing this person because there's some imaginary reason I think I should be in front of them, or because staying behind them is actually slowing me down? Unless it's come down to a sprint to the finish line, there's really no other good reason to pass.<br />
<br />
Running efficiently downhill on trails is not unlike skiing the moguls. It's important to stay balanced and centered, to land feet carefully and with the proper amount of force to guide one down the trail, and like with moguls, to keep one's vision 3 or so footfalls ahead in order to remain smooth. Going too fast equals loss of control and a crash; going too slow and "overbraking" is actually more work than going the "right" speed. There's a balance. Luckily, I've spent most of my adult life running trails, so it was pretty much second nature. <br />
<br />
A fellow competitor who was running in front of me for awhile made a video of the race. It's a good overview of the race and the scenery. Plus, I'm in it: <br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s8_f4hPpGsk&list=HL1375453728&feature=mh_lolz"> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s8_f4hPpGsk&list=HL1375453728&feature=mh_lolz</a><br />
<br />
Somebody's pet pig can be
seen at 1:30. The race itself starts at 1:44. I'm running behind him at about 2:50 and I can't hear
him because I'm taking acoustic inspiration from iTunes.
Then again at 4:30, and we chat briefly at 5:30. <br /><br />
During the last half of the race, I pushed the effort level up just a hair. As with the IM marathon, this was not reflected in my pace. But form stayed together. I went 57 min for the first 11K, 63 for the last 10, for a total time of 2 hours and 54 seconds. Just over 2 hrs. :-\ Makes me wish I'd paid a little closer attention to the watch. . .<br />
<br />
Overall, it was a scenic and fun run. It was also a confidence booster in terms of how well I ran tired. But the race awards suffered from the same logistical hassle as the XTERRA tri: I would've had to wait around for 1+ hours to get my little plaque for being 2nd in my AG. I wanted to/couldn't/didn't. It just seemed too selfish to make everyone sit around and wait again. Our vacation had, up to that point, been all about the parents and what we wanted instead of the kids' fun.<br />
<br />
But over the next week, we wound up doing OK in the kids of all ages fun department: Speedboating around Big Bear Lake, hitting Huntington and Newport Beach, going to Disneyland, and checking out Street Skating and Freestlye Moto-X at the X-Games:<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mama's Driving the boat like a wild woman. Family facepalm.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxy_HCGenT2pp0LxBJuOxZx6XzS0sjMzH44M8EjR8k4gLCGTPwJu75IktdZurW6cTy4uf1Wi_TAwFM39gTHxF7t0jHN4h-_phfiJfV3A8In3iqaZhMYVJHI5waRARUhDOsjgKpq9aI1OI/s1600/elissbankingboat.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxy_HCGenT2pp0LxBJuOxZx6XzS0sjMzH44M8EjR8k4gLCGTPwJu75IktdZurW6cTy4uf1Wi_TAwFM39gTHxF7t0jHN4h-_phfiJfV3A8In3iqaZhMYVJHI5waRARUhDOsjgKpq9aI1OI/s400/elissbankingboat.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The teen is banking hard and fast, imitating mama. Only 2 years and she can get a learner's permit!! :-\</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUgfRkRrmg_UWgko1tHwY218DPofsd5kw08N_DitbNgYuOFcPUBFKsmGVgMwCjBfpPb5-rS0T1vaJrndAnnZBiiiwoggEDo8-5FhZV8BDUJg-8IBF881NdCHkQBcysgWOFbNVhrY-ujH8/s1600/huntingtonbeachpano.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="93" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUgfRkRrmg_UWgko1tHwY218DPofsd5kw08N_DitbNgYuOFcPUBFKsmGVgMwCjBfpPb5-rS0T1vaJrndAnnZBiiiwoggEDo8-5FhZV8BDUJg-8IBF881NdCHkQBcysgWOFbNVhrY-ujH8/s400/huntingtonbeachpano.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Huntington Beach on the iPhone panorama feature</td></tr>
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. . .but that was last week. Today was the first day of school for the older two, and today is the day that I officially start prep for Ironman Arizona in November. We're right back into the full swing.Dr. Quighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00166923955947444169noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1737636495022038190.post-1471909384951384612013-08-03T06:56:00.002-07:002013-08-03T06:56:33.210-07:00XTERRA Snow Valley, Part II: Points Triathlon<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Saturday was the Points triathlon, the longer of the two tri options. Karen and I were both excited to do our first XTERRA tri. Karen was particuarly thrilled that XTERRANS, if you will, seemed to share her contempt for mornings. The race started not at 5:30, 6, or even 7 am, but at a mind-bogglingly late NINE AM. She and her slacker night people mountain biker cohorts would just be hitting their strides as I started to look for somewhere quiet and out of the way to nap. . .<br />
<br />
We arrived at 8am, set up T2 at the bottom of the hill, and rode/walked up the 2/3 mile climb to the teeny, tiny lake and T1. Setup was a free-for-all, so I just grabbed an available slot in the first rack, between a couple of really fast looking people. None of them seemed to be setting out their elbow and hip pads for the bike leg. And they all had clipless (meaning the ones you clip into) pedals. Not this rookie. Platform pedals only. And my Hokas. I'm not that good. Yet. If ever.<br />
<br />
I felt pretty casual about the whole thing: It would be a quick swim, a few trips up and down the ski hill on the bike, and then a hilly 6.2 mile run. Not much to stress about, and a good chance to work on pacing, nutrition, and of course, mountain bike skills. <br />
<br />
The swim was off fairly quickly. I started off at a comfortable speed and didn't really get going until the last lap. The expected hypoxia for a 7,000 foot swim was mitigated by my easy start. XTERRA tri swimmers have a reputation, and it seemed to me not unfounded. They were both slower and more aggressive: noticeably more jostling; pulling; hitting, a fair bit of it clearly intentional as opposed to the almost universally incidental/accidental collisions I've had in road tri swims. A fellow competitior who had a hard time keeping his hands off my backside (repetitively) got to experience some of my old water polo skills. >;-} Per my watch, the swim was done in 14:30, about 1:28/100 meters. Blah. Pretty much IM pace. Maybe I should have warmed up. Or pushed it like the short swim it was. <br />
<br />
Given the official swim split time, T1 took me about 2 minutes, which wasn't bad given that I threw on elbow pads, hip pads, a backpack, and sunglasses, in addition to the usual shoes and helmet.<br />
<br />
Conscious of the fact that we had to climb the ski hill three times, I set my effort level deliberately at tempo pace. My new platform pedals with little grippy knobs were money: they gave almost as much traction as if I were clipped in, but with the ability to stop myself from falling over given the high likelihood I would lose balance and/or need to clip out quickly. <br />
<br />
Falling on dirt shouldn't scare me so much, but there was that whole femoral neck fracture thing just eight months ago. And on this bike. <br />
<br />
I'm going to need to get over that one. Some MTB skills would certainly help that. ;-)<br />
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I almost made it all the way to the top without walking, but I pulled out into a more scree-covered track to pass and spun out. Overall, I had to hike the bike three times, all due to poor route selection or biking technique. But mostly climbing went well. With my feet free to move around on the pedals, I found that putting the midfoot, instead of the forefoot, over the center/axle of the pedal made a substantial improvement in my ability to climb. This shouldn't be a total surprise, as I use midfoot position cleats on my road shoes. <a href="http://endorphins-for-breakfast.blogspot.com/2013/05/ironman-703-st-george-race-report.html">Except when I leave them at home and need to buy new shoes for a race. . .</a><br />
<br />
I seemed to be able to lean forward with greater ease, which made a
pretty big difference on climbs with grades in the 15-20+% range. With the same level of effort, I climbed past people with whom I had been merely keeping pace before. Granted, they shot right past me on the downhill. . . <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhay7stan2OSq13JDVUFihlPyrb3fY9BPGJ_OQ6sEgh0wvoWt-0lIBo3ttDWp3ncrEtPm3NuCq8Si8n0UfisGzyL_Yzja-QskAkydjTGZDQoM3_GjVZkRaaCy2vbG-u9MbMX1gTjQtnVtA/s1600/IMG_0418.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhay7stan2OSq13JDVUFihlPyrb3fY9BPGJ_OQ6sEgh0wvoWt-0lIBo3ttDWp3ncrEtPm3NuCq8Si8n0UfisGzyL_Yzja-QskAkydjTGZDQoM3_GjVZkRaaCy2vbG-u9MbMX1gTjQtnVtA/s400/IMG_0418.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Haven't seen this on a road course. Yet.</td></tr>
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In keeping with my general lack of MTB skills and experience, I went downhill cautiously. Halfway down the first hill, the bike started feeling wobbly. The rear tire had flatted. I got to do a MTB tire change commando style, and like everything else, it was slow. For posterity's sake, I hung onto the unsubtle culprit, at right:<br />
<br />
This was, pun definitely intended, the nail in the coffin of any lingering competitive notions for this race, putting me abruptly back with folks more my speed, including Karen. Like pretty much everyone else, she whipped past me on the downhill, but I caught up with her on the uphills. <br />
<br />
I wasn't knocking the cover off the ball in terms of raw speed, but neither was I cramping nor hyperventilating with effort on the climbs. There was definitely a range of knowledge of pacing and nutrition out there, and if nothing else, I knew my limits well in this area. Total time was 1:52 for 13+ miles. Running speed. Ouchie.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbJLJmsUDlcldFyORCuTZWLX83g6wyAfteWNYGJtc_mxA7DuXp42QdCx3_jP4ll-q5sXOb9DIUnV6dWpjv1isMrdLdDZoQ2d1f-J0JAdq6kPxIVZrJ7cffZObu-JDwVH427HOa0xqgbHA/s1600/xterbikchart.tiff" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbJLJmsUDlcldFyORCuTZWLX83g6wyAfteWNYGJtc_mxA7DuXp42QdCx3_jP4ll-q5sXOb9DIUnV6dWpjv1isMrdLdDZoQ2d1f-J0JAdq6kPxIVZrJ7cffZObu-JDwVH427HOa0xqgbHA/s640/xterbikchart.tiff" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bike leg elevation, HR, and speed</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5rzIOmM_m3q0I7cDiSOrI2t9jQ_RY9g08LTBuYrgXCjNbZpsXNYfc8pCLd7nvXBZ1o1vshNtcF1R-xgowJolOvmwblTY1eFjXVvAiGZ-cEupARUnGnjIGtYWG2Bmtx02a8Jdq1oMel60/s1600/hlmthwk.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5rzIOmM_m3q0I7cDiSOrI2t9jQ_RY9g08LTBuYrgXCjNbZpsXNYfc8pCLd7nvXBZ1o1vshNtcF1R-xgowJolOvmwblTY1eFjXVvAiGZ-cEupARUnGnjIGtYWG2Bmtx02a8Jdq1oMel60/s640/hlmthwk.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Exiting T2. The dude's probably all like, whoa, check out the helmet-hawk on him. (Photo by Elissa)</td></tr>
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Speaking of which, the run was every bit as hilly as the bike, and even a bit more so on the 24% grade of "Diablo Hill," which everyone walked on the way up, and skid-slid-walked on the way down. There weren't any flats to speak of on the run course, just ups and downs. I worked on staying loose, efficient, and sub-threshold, even on the climbs. Maybe some day, my mountain bike skills will improve to the point that I
get off the bike with people as fast or faster than me in the run, but next I got to do something fun that I hadn't done since my first few months in road triathlons: Run down a bunch of competitors. :-)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQul8t1LNJuvZwcuN1PXyOz_8BnxZdhVgIAGE4PrM3Dt1Ja515pHltmckkU5cPm8YGyajpylVT1odC9f4T0DQMkRf_1HuX0BMfdXvRVtHqesKwJphq7JyFwYSnv09QhAapp_1j2DrJlUo/s1600/tqpassingxt.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQul8t1LNJuvZwcuN1PXyOz_8BnxZdhVgIAGE4PrM3Dt1Ja515pHltmckkU5cPm8YGyajpylVT1odC9f4T0DQMkRf_1HuX0BMfdXvRVtHqesKwJphq7JyFwYSnv09QhAapp_1j2DrJlUo/s640/tqpassingxt.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Woohoo! Passing skinny people! (Photo by Elissa)</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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Doing a new type of race was a good opportunity for me to contemplate triathlon and my relationship to it. I didn't start off competitive in triathlon, yet here I am. It grew bit by bit: Outswimming and running a few people down in my first tri; beating a bunch of skinny people; beating a few more skinny people in the next one; hitting an average speed on the bike over 20 mph; and then, suddenly and unexpectedly, <a href="http://ironquig.blogspot.com/2012/04/ironman-703-california-race-report.html">being two spots off the podium at a World Championship qualifying race</a>, waiting around for a roll-down slot, and thinking that what was once a distant and farfetched pipedream--qualifying for Kona--might not be all that unrealistic, or far off. For the last 18 months, I have been deliberately and rather thoroughly dedicated myself to that goal, embracing my own competitiveness, even when <a href="http://endorphins-for-breakfast.blogspot.com/2012/12/busted-down-on-cambell-street.html">rehabbing a busted hip. . . </a><br />
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So it was certainly different to do a race in which I had no hope of excelling. And I quite enjoyed it, which I think is a good sign. My involvement in triathlon doesn't seem excessive to me, despite what your average Joe or Jane likely thinks about roughly 12 hours/week of S-B-R, ramping up to as much as 20 for the 2-3 months preceding an Ironman. How this impacts the kids is another question worthy of another post, or two, or three. Soon.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTujL3aXXC1IQXfDbzsmBJtqKkbbhn8tieKFAZW5qPuJ86A_Dw2iAvBBFhYwIzKs-YGcFpGjgjfoGBIzOxeJ31VG2NJN5zRB0vXAOLDcldC54DNMm7i_rFZBVwPX2DJVfZ0rGKsxWpaHU/s1600/kqxtfin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTujL3aXXC1IQXfDbzsmBJtqKkbbhn8tieKFAZW5qPuJ86A_Dw2iAvBBFhYwIzKs-YGcFpGjgjfoGBIzOxeJ31VG2NJN5zRB0vXAOLDcldC54DNMm7i_rFZBVwPX2DJVfZ0rGKsxWpaHU/s640/kqxtfin.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Karen finishes! Better-than-professional photo by Josh.</td></tr>
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In terms of race logistics/support, this was an exceptionally well run and organized race. My only complaint was that the race organizers wouldn't simply hand out awards: If we wanted to collect it, we had to wait 1 1/2 hours after finishing so Karen could collect her 2nd place in age group plaque. This may not seem like much of a problem for most, but we spent not only our time, but our kids' free time/parent time/vacation time waiting around for us to collect our little codpieces instead of getting back to more family-centered activity, which wore thin for all involved awfully quickly. One single quanta of race director flexibility on this one would have made a big difference in our kids' schedules, and correspondingly, our levels of parent guilt. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWKEVgozlSSEQ5Fgwbzri85YWTn9HRG3DJSuiMheyRV9F00uKgmL8NTHq1TMx17iP6yLUQLCNW-IX4LytHNcePhV4IOBPltncEiaTOOQhmvuztNG2YVI361EnwelwUIqL44g9tFH6Wg_Q/s1600/cleandeodor.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWKEVgozlSSEQ5Fgwbzri85YWTn9HRG3DJSuiMheyRV9F00uKgmL8NTHq1TMx17iP6yLUQLCNW-IX4LytHNcePhV4IOBPltncEiaTOOQhmvuztNG2YVI361EnwelwUIqL44g9tFH6Wg_Q/s400/cleandeodor.jpg" width="336" /></a>On the whole, though, it was a good race, a great MTB adventure, and a
do-over. Not to mention the <i>piece de resistance</i>: I won a lottery prize! Yes, that's right, helmet cleaner and deodorizer! The mind truly boggles to think of all those years I'd been living without, toiling under a grimy helmet, in blissful, stinky ignorance of the solution to (one of) my aesthetic problem(s). But no more. Now we'll get to be the family with the shiny, great-smelling helmets! <br />
<br />
Unless you want it and send me an SASE.<br />
Dr. Quighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00166923955947444169noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1737636495022038190.post-5818694269263643222013-07-25T20:21:00.000-07:002013-07-25T20:55:00.995-07:00XTERRA Snow Valley, Part I:Had fun pre-riding. Kids rode too, as far as they could given the steep and sandy trails. No, that's not a preemptive excuse, but the MTB is definitely a growth area for me:<br />
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One of the benefits of pre-riding, is, of course, working out the kinks. One major kink I found turned out to be a residual Tucson thorn that flatted my tire. <br />
<br />
When I use a CO2 cartridge to fix a road bike flat, I pre-inflate to 20 or so PSI with the hand pump and check the tire fit before topping it off with the cartridge. This leaves the new tire right around 100 PSI. I attempted the same strategy with a MTB green slime tube and a 25 gram CO2 cartridge. Apparently, this pushed the pressure too high. Results were less than sublime. Feel free to add your own caption. We did:<br />
<br />
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<br />Dr. Quighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00166923955947444169noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1737636495022038190.post-57553999846090971132013-05-28T09:32:00.001-07:002013-05-28T09:32:39.861-07:00"Rest Week"Ah, a planned lull in training, courtesy of my new coach, <a href="http://www.graskyendurance.com/bill-daniell.html">Bill Daniell</a>. I've been beatin' the legs hard, and now it's time for the prescribed chance to recover, so they can come back stronger. Eight mere hours of a possible 168 spent on exertion, and not even anything especially strenuous. It's a virtual mini-vacation from all that sweating and straining, paddling and plodding, spinning and stretching. By the numbers, this is about six more hours to do with as I see fit. Doesn't that sound wonderful?<br />
<br />
For most folks, maybe.<br />
<br />
I, for one, happen to like all that exertion, and not just the fresh air and the joy of motion, but the neurochemical result: endorphins and adrenalin, my other favorite mood elevators, Mother Nature's very own Speedball. Yes, almost nothing else makes my least favorite coworkers easier to put up with than a couple of heaping scoops of endogenous opioids and catecholamines. . . <br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxBle6ttqkohPhNN5I9Bp2fp2usBeag69RZ2Cjp9uObg3NwrU-FRbVylKZ1XBldrJF9jLqaMCdUPmg8Zp97oBf-L6_Dc8deBI4q0ZnLohoBoXtiObqxQAefQKvOeVj3pd91dUskn_oAng/s1600/dessert.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxBle6ttqkohPhNN5I9Bp2fp2usBeag69RZ2Cjp9uObg3NwrU-FRbVylKZ1XBldrJF9jLqaMCdUPmg8Zp97oBf-L6_Dc8deBI4q0ZnLohoBoXtiObqxQAefQKvOeVj3pd91dUskn_oAng/s1600/dessert.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Love me. Take me. You know you want it.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
But perhaps most of all, I love not having to think so much about what goes in my mouth. More desserts, more snacks, less self-restraint required to get where I want. <br />
<br />
Or so I think. <br />
<br />
Somewhere in the back of my mind, I know that one of the few remaining low-hanging fruit left for me in the quest for triathlon excellence is getting a better handle on diet. Even though I've done at least 5-10 hours/week of exercise for my entire adult life, my weight has vacillated within a 45 pound range. For the last few years, I've been on the lower end. But not the lowest, and not as light as I imagine I could be without losing strength. <br />
<br />
So dietary discipline actually has always appealed to me, in a "<a href="http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/ma%C3%B1ana">Ma<span class="st">ñ</span>ana</a>" sort of way. It's a handy coincidence that this week is when Karen and I have committed to start writing out everything we eat in anticipation of a consultation with <a href="http://www.graskyendurance.com/">Grasky Endurance's</a> resident nutritionist and triathlon coach <a href="http://www.graskyendurance.com/brandon-nichols.html">Brandon Nichols</a>.<br />
<br />
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<tr align="left"><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqUOBOq7KO5zmPCc8Lynf29__BieE5MWb-zQ61W20LH7dKLJnlKrQI29dXFKd1rk9AsR_527vTMKZKPtWxjscE7oi0YcUKr0M1RXjyHpYrEGmrg2bU_FPRIT5fU6wqi63HdrdSkGI12TE/s1600/australopithecus.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqUOBOq7KO5zmPCc8Lynf29__BieE5MWb-zQ61W20LH7dKLJnlKrQI29dXFKd1rk9AsR_527vTMKZKPtWxjscE7oi0YcUKr0M1RXjyHpYrEGmrg2bU_FPRIT5fU6wqi63HdrdSkGI12TE/s1600/australopithecus.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hey, hun! What's for dessert?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
In addition to more core exercise, foam rolling, and hot tubbing (Did I
mention house chores? That's the most likely use for any "extra" time I
think I have!), this week will be an opportunity to be more disciplined
and aware. How hard can that be, really? I spend basically all of my
active SBR time focusing on how to be smooth and efficient. What's the big deal about a little more self-awareness?<br />
<br />
Already,
I've skipped that extra morning bagel, replacing with an apple. Not so
hard, at any given moment, one would think. Except at night, when my IQ plummets
to that of an <i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australopithecus_africanus">australopithecus</a>,</i> right along will my will to resist wayward impulses to consume sweets . . . <br />
<br />
OK, it's going to be a pitched battle. <br />
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<br />Dr. Quighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00166923955947444169noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1737636495022038190.post-47286720322759618212013-05-11T22:10:00.001-07:002013-05-12T13:01:53.436-07:00Ironman 70.3 St. George Race Report. . .with implicit hip fracture update: <br />
<br />
Many moons ago before the busted hip in November, I signed up for the newer, slimmer, better, IM 70.3 St. George, lured by the promises of a beautiful and challenging course less than one day of driving away from our base camp in Tucson, and by extra 70.3 World Championship slots. After the hip fracture, I tried to withdraw. But even with a medical excuse, WTC would only go so far as to give me $75 back. Plus, Karen was signed up, and we figured it would either be a fun family vacation or a weekend date with someone watching the kids. So I held onto the registration, fully expecting to do just the swim and bike only, as a rehab assignment. Karen and I wound up going together, with my folks watching the kids at home. Woohoo!! Date time!! When we thought about it, we realized it had been 2-3 years or so since we'd gone away without the kids. . .<br />
<br />
Race logistics were made somewhat hectic by the separate locations of T1 and T2. Showing up an hour later than expected because we forgot Utah was on Mountain Time didn't help. Leaving my bike shoes at the shop in Tucson that gave the bike a last-minute tune-up didn't help either. A stuck chain and busted chain blocker seemed like the <i>coup d'grace</i>. My lack of planning cost me a nap, and netted me an unexpected new pair of bike shoes and two panicked trips to <a href="http://www.bicyclesunlimited.com/%E2%80%8E">Bicycles Unlimited</a> in St. George, where the very helpful service staff totally hooked me up and got things back in order.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-0_XqwzVDWWWiHDlO2DYe-0KsvWSzR3TyCKqrPyPniyXMF4ahQMop38QuDiLW651bsF3XmG8wpTgL28i4Z0YI3qzu0BsTNfYoFTEecMqmO7frwOJUJawJf2nyX17axEcG6Z9GcxXiWLY/s1600/bike+repair+st+g.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-0_XqwzVDWWWiHDlO2DYe-0KsvWSzR3TyCKqrPyPniyXMF4ahQMop38QuDiLW651bsF3XmG8wpTgL28i4Z0YI3qzu0BsTNfYoFTEecMqmO7frwOJUJawJf2nyX17axEcG6Z9GcxXiWLY/s640/bike+repair+st+g.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is my ass, getting saved. Mostly. Except for the next time.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<br />
I thought I was done with pre-race stress, but not yet. <br />
<br />
All went as planned until the next morning when I tried to top off the air in the tires. The removable valve core at the end of the extension came loose and jammed up a pump that a fellow competitor had so graciously lent me. I tried to knock the stuck part out, but the head of the pump just broke. I wanted to get the pump-lender's info so I could send her a replacement, but she took the rest of her pump and left, or maybe stormed off, quickly. Damn.<br />
<br />
My superstitious mind noted, with a fair bit of relief, that this was the third bad thing that had happened to the bike. My rational mind called BS, and suggested that I not take anything for granted.<br />
<br />
So, the race.<br />
<br />
<u><b>Swim:</b></u><br />
Equipment: DeSoto T1 Wetsuit and neoprene cap, silicone earplugs<br />
Time: 28:19<br />
<br />
I downed a bottle of Ironman Peform while waiting for the second M45-49 wave, which was at 7:54, 59 minutes after the pros had started. This led to the wetsuit wee-wee equivalent of the "one cheek sneak." I just kept walking around until the wet footprints dried up.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp9LqREzQfPVO32Oi3VWvakzuUgAGWojZnQ9eK4cwWC1IEpWDTeQc70-pFAIkXnh-bUHC2kUhlzXNdGibliqSfuD5kwBSDOXUKj3NlHeFRur-oMKfaO0m8J12abTZSIJ4BCY1tUGHJFgo/s1600/swim+proof.tiff" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp9LqREzQfPVO32Oi3VWvakzuUgAGWojZnQ9eK4cwWC1IEpWDTeQc70-pFAIkXnh-bUHC2kUhlzXNdGibliqSfuD5kwBSDOXUKj3NlHeFRur-oMKfaO0m8J12abTZSIJ4BCY1tUGHJFgo/s400/swim+proof.tiff" width="266" /></a>The water was 60 degrees, a temperature which seemed awfully cold in Coeur D'Alene, Idaho, but somehow didn't seem so bad in Sand Hollow Park, Utah. My De Soto T1 2-piece wetsuit is absolute money--buoyant in the legs, flexible in the shoulders, more than sufficiently warm for every race I've done. A neoprene cap and silicone earplugs
helped immensely (don't underestimate the discomfort and vertigo that
can be caused by a continuous flow of cold water right next to your
vestibular apparatus and brain). I was borderline hot by the end.<br />
<br />
The wave start was unremarkable. I grabbed a spot on the front line with no resistance or jostling. The horn went off, and I took long, easy strokes, instead of sprinting. I started out feeling smooth and a little lackadaisical, which was perfect. Kicking was minimal to nonexistent, except for two instances: to wake up the legs at the end before I got out, and when the dude who
hung on my feet for most of the way hit my feet a couple times in a row. He seemed to get the hint. There was often someone in front of me, and water visibility was good, so I didn't have to sight much, except to occasionally avoid meandering swimmers from previous heats. It went pretty well for a first swim of the year, particularly given that I've been borderline neglectful of swimming.<br />
<br />
<br />
<u><b>T1: 3:30</b></u><br />
<br />
It went OK, given the hassles associated with new, bike-only shoes. I skipped the wetsuit strippers, which probably saved some time. Cooking spray to the arms and legs before putting on the wetsuit helped it come off quickly.<br />
<br />
<u><b>Bike:</b></u><br />
Equipment: QR Illicito, Zipp 808 FC Clinchers, front and rear, Quarq Rotor Powermeter, SRAM red 11-28 cassette, QXL 54/39 rings, Garneau Vorttice Helmet with Visor, Garmin 800<br />
Time: 2:34:45<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMcxJux88cw7VawmDRjrF958IZBmFXyitRLLf7jqzQzbJL8mV77JPHPFdhDBf0yBKXdJHWVh1bec5tZUwxUSxM-IvOd047qsiBXD0u8hmEmaiZaGofUvYIeYx-rDIbeCtqH19Ez8Pfx6s/s1600/tom-st.-george-bike-050413.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMcxJux88cw7VawmDRjrF958IZBmFXyitRLLf7jqzQzbJL8mV77JPHPFdhDBf0yBKXdJHWVh1bec5tZUwxUSxM-IvOd047qsiBXD0u8hmEmaiZaGofUvYIeYx-rDIbeCtqH19Ez8Pfx6s/s640/tom-st.-george-bike-050413.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I actually paid for this pic, which is why it's bigger and doesn't have a copyright symbol on it.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
The bike leg is among the hilliest 70.3 courses around, but no more so than many rides around Tucson. Lots of climbs and dives, with some rollers, and a couple of flat sections. It was a little cryptic to decipher from the course map, but was well marked on race day. It was listed as having 2552 feet of elevation gain, but my elevation-corrected GPS file showed 3700, which I think is more accurate. Strangely, some of the pros' files listed on Trainingpeaks, which covered the same course and presumably used the same elevation correction algorithm, showed closer to 3,000 feet.<br />
<br />
I started off the bike with higher than expected HR and lower than expected watts. This is the last part of the swim to run transition: Waiting for the arms to cool off and stop sucking up so much of the cardiac output. Eventually they did, and I settled into my planned 260-270W range. HR remained a little higher than expected--high- instead of mid-130s. But I didn't feel like I was pushing it too hard, so I let that be. The course was beautiful and fun. The "big climb" on the course--Snow Canyon--took a little speed away,
but was easier than a corresponding 4 mile stretch on Mt. Lemmon. Not a
biggie. The dive-bomb down the hill--reaching 46.8 MPH, was easy and fun,
as the winds were minimal. Finishing the bike course was little more than
rolling down the hill to T2. I let wattage bump up to 300 or so on hills. Heart rate stayed sub-threshold. Final numbers: Avg. Speed 21.71 MPH, NP 267, AP 257, VI 1.04 (with some strategic coasting), Avg. HR 139, Avg Cadence 84. <br />
<br />
<u><b>T2: 4:15</b></u><br />
<br />
Slow, but there was no hurry whatsoever. Mentally, my race was done. I'd hit my expected swim and bike times, now it was rehab run city. I checked my bike power results before leaving, and made a bathroom stop that I didn't really need.<br />
<br />
<u><b>Run:</b></u><br />
Equipment: Race Tucson top/bottom, Hoka Bondi B shoes, Garmin 310xt, Headsweats Visor.<br />
Time: 1:58:35<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCj9YG9frlsPZFcC9SsIqqLQJVkS7GPwmmoeAAASZ2OC2TmYsIVvGel3o8RSackANVxazEkf9oL99kXh4CIpkguS5t5HzH2zw3INCVz73OA0RZd0C5jX7qc18Emd_ihsgmZWrhmQX4Oyg/s1600/run+proof.tiff" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCj9YG9frlsPZFcC9SsIqqLQJVkS7GPwmmoeAAASZ2OC2TmYsIVvGel3o8RSackANVxazEkf9oL99kXh4CIpkguS5t5HzH2zw3INCVz73OA0RZd0C5jX7qc18Emd_ihsgmZWrhmQX4Oyg/s400/run+proof.tiff" width="262" /></a>Again, the elevation on this course was more than listed. I had 1,429 on the Trainingpeaks-corrected GPS file, which seems a little much, but the race guide said 709. Others had mentioned 1100-1200 feet.<br />
<br />
I wasn't sure if I was going to do the whole run, as I hadn't done a run over 8 miles since the busted hip. So I took it a mile at a time. Pace felt easy, so I worked on pushing my fluid intake a little, drinking 1-2 cups of water and perform at each aid station. It remained easy until about mile 10, but at that point, all that was left was to roll down the last hill. Aching legs notwithstanding, I finished without falling off the (not terribly fast) pace. I was, surprisingly, 20th/213 for my age group and 250th/2000+ overall. A healthy me would have been competitive for WC slots. Like a true Red Sox fan, I say, "next year. . ."<br />
<br />
Karen rolled in a little later, and we soaked up the post-race food and relaxation for awhile before hopping in the car. Particularly noteworthy were the three-flavored (or at least three colored) rocketship popsicles, straight from childhood. On the way home, we drove past Zion National Park. Definitely a must-see for next year!<br />
<br />
On the whole, it was an amazing race. As friends and teammates alike are planning to do it again next year, we almost undoubtedly will, too. Next year, and for all future M-dot races, I think we're going to show up at least two days before the race, instead of just the day before. Logistical sanity cannot but help not only race results but enjoyment.<br />
<br />
Results for team Quigley:<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgshvpnqvGQDrfPMAf-UUtRol8OYxB_dN8GctFKRNDFLlYlNsmzIDXoEGyJLEDqkr2ebhmTxTaw_gARNoOVKILMbPPID9K1q-ByrjmqWXbT9fe8CvaaCmi-luNhjLDVEKmb-tgIcYTjLk4/s1600/quigley+stg.tiff" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgshvpnqvGQDrfPMAf-UUtRol8OYxB_dN8GctFKRNDFLlYlNsmzIDXoEGyJLEDqkr2ebhmTxTaw_gARNoOVKILMbPPID9K1q-ByrjmqWXbT9fe8CvaaCmi-luNhjLDVEKmb-tgIcYTjLk4/s640/quigley+stg.tiff" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />Dr. Quighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00166923955947444169noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1737636495022038190.post-90955654695900985642013-03-27T21:14:00.001-07:002013-03-27T21:31:22.829-07:00Rehab Update: Attitude ManagementI've had the distinct pleasure of being able to start running again in a real way recently, and this is a good thing. But since November 26, workouts have been, to mangle a cheater's quote, all about the bike. I was back on the stationary bike within two weeks post fracture, and back on the real bike at about seven weeks. Since then, bike power numbers have not just recovered, but improved noticeably, mostly because I've done little else but ride. I'm hitting historical tempo level wattage in Zone 2, and threshold wattage with a tempo HR. With swim continuing to be solid, it was easy to even imagine that my tri ability as a whole was getting better. . .<br />
<br />
. . .until I started running. Despite feeling as if my bike and swim fitness is pretty advanced, run fitness just isn't. When running, I've gotten to the point that I'm moving pretty smoothly, but speed just isn't there. What feels like a 7 minute mile is more like 7 miles per hour. The recovery from a 45 minute to 1 hour "easy" run feels like what it should have been after a 10K. And most vexing of all, probably 50% of the apparent wattage improvement on the bike appears to have gotten lost in sore running legs.<br />
<br />
Somehow, I find this surprising, when by any rational standard, it shouldn't be.<br />
<br />
I'm impatient to be further along than I am. The hazard of this, clearly, is running myself into injury. I find myself reeling in my unreasonable expectations, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lObgLdtXYpU">talking myself down</a> from unreasonable disappointment, and trying to put it all in perspective.<br />
<br />
So here goes:<br />
<br />
--An athletic year in the life of a 45 year-old following a hip fracture is most reasonably devoted to rehab, not PRs. But perceived improvement, particularly in something so reproducible and constant as bike power, has tempted me to think otherwise. There I go again. . .<br />
<br />
--And where am I relative to expectations? A couple months ago, I wasn't even going to bring my running shoes to <a href="http://www.ironman.com/triathlon/events/ironman-70.3/st.-george.aspx#axzz2OmyFQ8SN">70.3 St. George</a>. And now, there's a decent chance I'll do the whole 13.1. Perspective is the key to happiness. Expectations are its enemy.<br />
<br />
--First and foremost, triathlon--meaning all three disciplines--is an event unto itself, and all disciplines are interrelated. It's a bit
delusional to think that I'd improved AS A TRIATHETE merely by upping
bike power, when I couldn't even run. Even though bike numbers have
taken it in the shorts of late, collective multisport fitness has come along
dramatically by merely being able to run.<br />
<br />
--Oh yeah, and am I remembering to have fun, and appreciate what I have, instead of dwelling on what isn't? <br />
<br />
An answer, in the form of tonight's runset:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxE0d0BTx5sPT-1IevQuCldJ2Mm5MKbsexP21mzYE45B1isSI0auZttC2Mklu55ZYl0guWnoSsg_WDEtWpqe-Btp4lSQDSUWLMCkAhRBZzqkiV26eZqE-4JX3OsozdcH7BUXCSFQVMZV0/s1600/runset-032713.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxE0d0BTx5sPT-1IevQuCldJ2Mm5MKbsexP21mzYE45B1isSI0auZttC2Mklu55ZYl0guWnoSsg_WDEtWpqe-Btp4lSQDSUWLMCkAhRBZzqkiV26eZqE-4JX3OsozdcH7BUXCSFQVMZV0/s640/runset-032713.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
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<br />Dr. Quighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00166923955947444169noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1737636495022038190.post-42469925698965282772013-03-17T07:57:00.001-07:002013-03-18T21:58:54.100-07:00More LV: Red Rocks Loop And Surrounding RoadsSome days I roll out of bed earlier than I'd like, get my dragging butt on the bike with a slightly dragging rear brake along with dragging Gatorskin tires, Mr. Tuffy liners, and thick, puncture-proof tubes that are both highly resistant to flats and to speed, . . .but then have an amazing ride anyway. Including this three hour ride, I've put in 11 hours of Ass-In-Saddle Time this week. This is far and away more than I've done since busting my hip, and I'm pretty dang stoked about that. Just 'cuz I like data, here's the Trainingpeaks chart:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdD8uETdRBhxn_kL-UYrt1F6jqegLr4Ys-6LivoLdBoc8pUbGkGaEgNwz2dhmWvz0yTbCcRbrfI1JYRG2a6fT0aHbIbTBozbWexMS7uyva7X5lIKj4kFMjkvCueho0HqRFEv2f9FweTI4/s1600/redrockchart.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="187" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdD8uETdRBhxn_kL-UYrt1F6jqegLr4Ys-6LivoLdBoc8pUbGkGaEgNwz2dhmWvz0yTbCcRbrfI1JYRG2a6fT0aHbIbTBozbWexMS7uyva7X5lIKj4kFMjkvCueho0HqRFEv2f9FweTI4/s640/redrockchart.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Power and speed unimpressive but steady. No surprises there.</td></tr>
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Data is fun, but beside the point. The Red Rocks Loop, west of LV, was a beautiful ride, with many riders to spur one on. The loop proper is in the upper left corner of the photo:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2UIfFHoeVpezfEVQ96Hlgot8p-LzBRGk3Rm7mmXyn9mOb5ZmMDWZApC4ZxjuxmstNcLdm3AOXtPvajA8w4Osrj1lT0hyphenhyphenD7SfRD1g7h-PlsYPxS3lZXbPUDLWJfhEelWNWcp5_BAzTxOU/s1600/redrockloop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="368" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2UIfFHoeVpezfEVQ96Hlgot8p-LzBRGk3Rm7mmXyn9mOb5ZmMDWZApC4ZxjuxmstNcLdm3AOXtPvajA8w4Osrj1lT0hyphenhyphenD7SfRD1g7h-PlsYPxS3lZXbPUDLWJfhEelWNWcp5_BAzTxOU/s640/redrockloop.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Start/Ending point was the Red Rocks Casino</td></tr>
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I started the ride out by headlamp at oh-dark-hundred in order to get back to the conference in a timely fashion, as there were things actually worth attending this AM. This allowed me to be there, iPhone in hand, for the dawn:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2n1iPwCjIWEgm5_xSntoS017wMgNELKpECsSYwknf32HFw2NatlD9qy4k3TIY77QTy9UfIeO6fQa9C6peVXbCVlqB8dPqvVhiFySjhi35O-puwHqTGTXdxQzWS6FRMedi2Nfrg4S-Bnc/s1600/red-rocks-photosynth-pano-031613.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="315" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2n1iPwCjIWEgm5_xSntoS017wMgNELKpECsSYwknf32HFw2NatlD9qy4k3TIY77QTy9UfIeO6fQa9C6peVXbCVlqB8dPqvVhiFySjhi35O-puwHqTGTXdxQzWS6FRMedi2Nfrg4S-Bnc/s640/red-rocks-photosynth-pano-031613.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
The Red Rocks loop itself was beautiful. The first four or so miles were uphill at a 5% grade, and was somewhat deceptively steep. Numerous roadies were there burning up the hill, making me wish that I'd had a bit of leftover leg strength to try to outrace them. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW9mMIAZDSqIuALTMWqhp0uX92FzfhdZcI_rpOooZZPBZ0LxVDaeNwbMwyGb4DOIKNm2mp5P2tuttAQHWQ75O3tK6sifENWJ4ymrWQw7cV-l0izAEYwSClrtAFggx_BFnbC7XUH8gc000/s1600/red-rocks-loop-tortoise-sign-031613.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="390" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW9mMIAZDSqIuALTMWqhp0uX92FzfhdZcI_rpOooZZPBZ0LxVDaeNwbMwyGb4DOIKNm2mp5P2tuttAQHWQ75O3tK6sifENWJ4ymrWQw7cV-l0izAEYwSClrtAFggx_BFnbC7XUH8gc000/s640/red-rocks-loop-tortoise-sign-031613.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
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The local tortoises were too smart to be out on the road, particularly the downhill. I topped 40 MPH without pedaling, and could've likely hit 50 if I'd been feeling bold. <br />
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On the way back to the hotel, I got passed by a roadie. Initially I raced him, but then decided to practice not getting hooked into racing people who are outpacing me, as I am wont to do in triathlon. With a twinge of regret, I let him go. He started easing up, and slowly the gap closed. I stopped 8 or so meters off his rear wheel and worked on "not drafting" per triathlon rules. It sure was notably easier to pedal when I was "not drafting" this close to someone.<br />
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After a solid finish, I freshened up and headed down for some education and socialization.Dr. Quighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00166923955947444169noreply@blogger.com0