AZ Xtreme Tri Swim Start, April 21st
T1 wetsuit removal
April 21st was my opening day for 2007 with the Arizona Xtreme Desert Triathlon. This regional Xterra race held 30 miles east of Phoenix at Saguaro Lake was on my schedule as a pre-season “tune-up” race to get the kinks out and make sure all my equipment was good to go for the new season. I also was looking at this race to be one of only a few races of my season that I had a chance to take the overall win. However, this did not happen as I was certainly a bit rusty and slow to get going on the bike.
The day started early as I left my dad’s house, in a downpour of rain, 30 miles north of Phoenix on the other side of town from the race. On the drive over we stopped for a Starbucks coffee (only place open that early on a Saturday) and then again 30 minutes later for a Denny’s Grand Slam breakfast to fuel up the energy tanks. Once we got to the race venue the rained had ceased and it looked like it was going to be a nice day for racing.
The swim start was fast and furious as any triathlon. I was really looking to see what improvements I had made over the winter in my swimming abilities. Halfway through the swim I was a bit discouraged but managed to hang on to about 2oth position out of the water. Onto the bike I was ready to chase down the victory, but it later proved not to be my day. The all fire-road bike leg littered with short steep power-climbs and sandy washes proved to not be my kind of course. I prefer longer sustained climbs and more technical trail riding to gain advantages over my competitors. This classic Arizona desert course was just too fast to gain much time on.
Into T2 I managed to find myself in 5th place and after a quick transition I was off to chase down 4th place just ahead of me. On the run I felt good, but not good enough to reach the podium. The run, a complete opposite from the bike, was almost entirely singletrack. Many spots were extremely tight, rocky and full of twists and turns. It was a tough course to get into a rhythm, but fun none the less. Upon finishing in fourth position, I was disappointed at first, but then remembered that I am only just now getting going and my form will only begin to improve as the season progresses.
On the Final Finishing Hill
Charging Towards the Finish Line
Father and Son Post Race
From the Mountains…..
…..to the Desert
Last week I was on my way to Arizona for my first real test of the new season. Saturday the 21st I will get to see an indication of where my current fitness level is and hopefully positive results from all the solid training I have gotten in over the winter.
Monday morning I got up at 4 AM and headed down the road. Thirteen hours later I found myself in the Arizona desert. Aside from the race, the Arizona Desert Xtreme Triathlon, my plan is to drive down to Phoenix to get in a visit with my dad, who lives there, as well as some warm weather training. Speaking of training, I just finished three weeks of Race Prep training so this week will be a light recovery week with a race at the end. With the light training there will be plenty of time available for visiting and to work on my tan. I have a couple easy runs swims planned along with a fun 20 mile mountain bike ride on the trail that I learned to mountain bike on when I was fifteen. I am looking forward to that experience of revisiting the past. Race report to follow.
CW
Views from the Phoenix Mountain Preserve Trail System
Some rugged Arizona singletrack
Getting plumb-bobbed at Wheat Ridge
Adam De La Pena, Fit Specialist
With the arrival of my new road bike a couple weeks back, it was decided that I would “get fitted”. Getting bike fits has become the hottest thing to do over the last few years. In the past when getting a new bike, I would set it up with similar dimensions from the previous bike and go ride. Over the first few rides any small needed adjustments would be made. Done deal.
Nowadays, anyone who’s anyone, gets a “professional” bike fit done when they purchase a new bike. From elite racers to recreational weekend warriors, “getting fitted” is a must do experience to make you not only more comfortable on the bike but also more powerful, I’m told.
So last Friday evening I found myself at Wheat Ridge Cyclery getting fit by expert fitter and occasional riding buddy, Adam De La Pena. Adam is one of the many Serotta Certified Fit Specialists at Wheat Ridge and he takes bike fitting very seriously. So I climbed onto my bike attached to a stationary trainer and pedaled away. As Adam scrutinizes my pedaling action, I could tell he was formulating his plan of attack on what adjustments were needed. A little measurement here, adjustment there, plumb-bob action, and goniometer (what the heck is a goniometer?).…viola, I had been fitted.
Of course that is an oversimplified version of the nearly two hour process involving flexibility tests, an extensive interview process, a detailed analysis of my riding intentions, and the fitting as well as a before-and-after computerized pedal stroke comparison. Being a skeptical person, and going in not really knowing what to expect from a “professional” bike fit, I was impressed to say the least by Adams knowledge and Wheat Ridge’s facility and presentation.
Upon the completion of the bike fit I can say that I did “feel” more comfortable on the bike. Only time in the saddle will confirm. I also heard Adam claiming that I will see an increase in power output just from being correctly fit to the bicycle. Wouldn’t that be nice. I’ll let you know if he’s right.
Thank you, Adam and Thank you, Wheat Ridge Cyclery.
CW
My new Jamis XCR Pro race bike showed up on Monday. After building it up, I got out for a quick spin to begin the break-in process. Wednesday was the maiden voyage on the trails. After dropping the car off for an oil change, I headed for the hills. Four hours and 5500ft climbing later I was back at the automotive shop with a smile (and a little dirt) on my face.
The Jamis XCR Pro equipped with a REBA World Cup fork, Mavic Tubless wheels, and XTR drivetrain rode impressively. The 24-pound, 4-inch travel bike climbed surprisingly well and descended even better. I opted for the slightly heavier bike with more travel and stiffness to assist me on the descents as they tend to be my weak spot on the mountain bike. I think this bike might just do the trick in inspiring the confidence needed for me to rip the downhills this year.
Check out the pics from my ride below. I’m looking forward to getting some more time on the bike next week in Arizona. Stay tuned for more stories.
CW
From Mt. Falcon Open Space above Morrison with Denver in the distance
From Apex Open Space above Golden with Denver in the distance
Ah, spring time in Colorado, the unpredictable weather often makes training a challenge. Case in point: this week started out great. Sunshine and warm temperatures made for some great training days. Then as the week progressed we had wind, followed by rain, finally ending in snow by the weekend. On Saturday, Adam (coachee and training buddy) and I found ourselves running into the cloud covered hills on snowy trails like Frodo and Sam into the Misty Mountains.
Despite the chilly weather on Sat. I made my 10 mile trail run, but Sunday was another story. The cold temps and snow kept up on Easter and I ended up bagging any attempts to ride, run or swim. Instead Melek and I headed up to Ft. Collins for an Easter visit with her parents and family. I am a little frustrated to miss a long bike day, but the extra days rest will serve me well going into next week. Two more weeks till my first Xterra event in Arizona.
Here we are in April already. It seems as if the weeks are flying by towards the racing season. I am now entering my Race Prep phase of training. This 8-week phase will bring in some race intensity workouts, combo bike-run workouts, and early season prep races to hopefully push my fitness level up a notch before my serious races begin. With this increase in intensity I will reduce my overall volume a bit to allow for adequate recovery between hard sessions. This will be key in keeping me healthy and motivated going into my first events in late May and early June.
Last week was a busy week for me on the coaching front with a two new clients being added to my work load. Because of this extra and somewhat unexpected time consumption, I missed a couple workouts and had to shortened a few others causing me to have my first week in a long time where I did not meet my weekly training volume goals. Oh well, this happens in life and it’s important for me to keep things in perspective and not let it get to me.
On the positive side, the unanticipated lower volume allowed me to stay fresh for my first real run test of the new year, the Platte River Half Marathon, that I participated in on Sunday. I knew going in that I had a great base of aerobic running, but was uncertain of my ability to sustain a long effort at lactate threshold, such as often the case in a half marathon.
Despite the extremely limited amount of LT running I’ve done thus far (like 2 workouts), I managed to pull off 13 straight miles at 6:03 pace to finish in just over 1:19. That is pretty solid considering that my current LT training pace is 6:00! That says a lot for the all aerobic training that I’ve been doing lately. What a boosts to my running confidence going into the early season with a new PR in the half marathon by 3 minutes on an entirely aerobic running plan. I can’t wait to see what happens when I get in some faster training over the next several weeks!
