Chilly Willy 2012 RR

On super bowl Sunday I participated in the Chilly Willy Duathlon that occurred at Ft. Desoto near St. Petersburg, FL for the 3rd straight year! The race consisted of a "5k" run, 10 mile bike, and the same "5k" run. The quotes are for that the distances are not that accurate. Last year, the 5k runs were short by 0.1 mile, but this year my garmin got 3.25 miles for the run, which is a 0.5 mile total increase from 2011....anyways.

As from other posts, I've been focusing a lot more on the bike during the off-season. Putting in 140 mile weeks with power intervals and lifting, so my goal for the race is to see what I can do on the bike. Did my off-season pay off? Did I waste my time?

My goal for the race was to pace the 5K's at 10k pace roughly 5:45 per mile and just HAMMER the bike to see what I have! What about the 2nd 5K? Well, don't really care...I know it will not be stellar but I expect that with very little quality focus on my running. Most of my running consisted of tempo runs, long runs, and occasional 800's with SHS track/XC team.

Race morning went well. Arrived at Ft. Desoto about 90 minutes before race start, which was at 8 am. Got my race packet and started to set-up my trainer for easy 15 minute spin with some pick-ups...found that spinning has helped a lot to get ready for sprint and olympic races. After my spin, I set-up my bike in transition and grabbed my shoes to head out for a 10 minute easy warm up. Checked transition one more time and just relax with some dynamic stretching.

1st 5K Run
8 am start! Ready to roll and find out what this year has in-stored for me. The gun goes off and like most running races, you have a pack of 10-15 that just goes out hard...I understand this because I was one of those runners a few years ago, but realized now that the sooner I can get into my pace the better, so I started out with 5:40-5:45 pace right way and watch getting passed, but as soon as I get to half mile marker I'm just picking people off. Mile 1 comes and I'm at 5:47 (perfect!) and keep picking people off...I think I'm probably 7-8th place. Hit mile 2 at 5:46 split (perfect!), maybe 5-6 place. Mile 3 at 5:47 (perfect!)...then I realized I have a lot more than 0.1 miles left, but oh well, keep up the pace. I come into T1 at 5th place overall with 18:45 for 3.26 miles and I leave T1 at 4th place...have to be good at your transitions!

10 mile Bike
Bike time!! The Ft. Desoto course is always the same for whatever race is at Ft. Desoto. You head south and follow the road to the left and head east. You turn around at the end around a circle and then head back...pretty easy....flat and fast! I didn't have a wattage in mind for the 10 miles. All I wanted to do is go as fast as I can. Last year, Chilly Willy was my first ride with my power meter and ended up at 222 watts with an average of 22 mph. This year, I finished with 277 watts and averaged 25 mph. Finished with 2nd best bike split...mission accomplished. Bike felt the best after 5-6 miles till I got my groove...downside of a sprint race and why I'm a long course kind of guy. Downside of the race was that 1-3 place all had similar bikes therefore coming into T2 at 4th place, but I did put some distance on 5th place.

2nd 5K Run
I didn't have much expectations for my second run. I know I wanted to hammer the bike and there will be a sacrifice of my 2nd 5K. I didn't make up any time on the leaders so I was about 1 minute down from 3rd place who I know is very good runner so motivation was not as high as the bike or run. I ended up after mile 1 at 6:10 pace; therefore my goal at that moment was to negative split the miles and keep up the tempo. Each mile was faster than previous with the last being at 5:55 for a total of 20:00 minute flat for 3.26 so I was happy and stayed at 4th overall with 5th best 1st 5K and 4th best 2nd 5K.

Overall Finish: 4th (3rd in AG)

Overall Finish (2011): 11th (3rd in AG)

I am very pleased of my performance and feel that I'm so far ahead from last year. Now it's time to take my results and build on it with my specific power workouts and say bye-bye to my road bike for awhile. While the run has suffered a little, I don't think I'm significant slower...aka January's Ringling Bridge 4 miler last year was 22:31 and this year 22:38. I'll get my speed back with working with SHS Track team, but I do have a stronger endurance than this time last year with my increase in tempo runs.

Good luck to all in your training!

Next up - Great Clermont Olympic Triathlon on March 25th!

(Very hot day for February…not so chilly!)

Two weeks of epic training!

Being a teacher has a lot of rewarding days! Working with students to try and get them as excited about chemistry as I am and of course explosion Fridays, but I would be crazy not to mention the time off is a bonus. With these days off I can get in some awesome

training with plenty of sleep! I got some epic training days during my two weeks off, which include training runs with my track kids and riding long with pro cyclist Bobby, ex-pro Kyle, and fellow elite triathlete Marco.

The picture (from left to right) is of Keith (visiting from Boulder), Kyle, me, Bobby, Sean (who will soon be a pro cyclist), and Marco (taking photo). Great 60 mile ride out east of Sarasota.

Here are more highlights of my training:

Started my vacation in St. Augustine and got in 120 miles of riding, which included a 80 miler.

Hill running with SHS track at the celery fields

Working on my butterfly which got a compliment from the god of butterfly, Kevin McCormack - "you have a decent fly." I was ecstatic!

Rubber track workout with track team and Marco.

2 mile warm up + 4 sets of 400/800 (400 at 5K pace, 800 tempo pace) [equivalent to 5K, completed in 18:40...not bad for a training workout and no speed work] + 1 mile cool down and of course core!

Lots and lots of riding with my 10/2 power intervals (10 minutes at hardest gear just below AT and 2 minutes easy). Thanks to Kyle for his off-season intervals!

Along with power intervals, weights are a key to help develop my bike to where it needs to be.

To finish the two weeks off, I did a 5 miler trail race on New Years Eve day, which was not my best 5 miles from all the training and little speed work, but finished 6th OA and 1st AG with 29:51.

Final totals: 460 miles biking, 80 miles running, 14,000 yards in the pool

Great way to end the great year of 2011! Can't wait for 2012! Especially, meeting my new Rev3 teammates and racing Rev3!

I can't forget the reason I can train this much and the reason I am so successful-my Abigail! Had a wonderful New Years Eve!

That's a bitching sparkling shirt!

Always fun in St. Auggie!

This weekend, Abby and I went to visit my sister, Laura and her husband, James and my nephew, Finn in St. Augustine. Finn just turned 2 this Thanksgiving and he is so much fun to play with. Definitely need to make more trips to St. Auggie so I don't get the evil eye from Finn. If you want to see Finn in action. Check out this video from last night. Finn doing intervals.

Anyways, the trip was also filled with some great training. Road a total of 120 miles for the weekend, which included a 80 miler on Sunday. I had no clue where I was going. I was just following the group and ended up in Ponte Vedra. We went everywhere! Way out west towards the river and then all the way back to the Atlantic! 80 miles has been the most I have ridden in a probably a year and a half. I need it though! My bike is goal number one over the off season - ride, lift, and ride some more. But I can never forget to get a jog in St. Augustine. I just love running there. Going downtown towards the fort and going over the Bridge of Lions towards the park. Just awesome! This a great way to start my two weeks of epic training. No school = heavy legs!

A trip to St. Augustine is never complete without going to dinner downtown. Laura and James took us to the Floridian which was just amazing! I love the outside seating in the back and the shrimp n' grits was awesome. Of course, we ended up at JP Henley's for a beer and had the Rough black IPA.

Hope everyone is enjoying the holiday's! Only a few more days till Christmas.

Off season...what off season

A lot of reflection this weekend from the past season and to the future. Two reasons for this: 1) watching NBC's airing of the 2011 Ironman World Championship 2) the Sarasota Storm Tri Club's end of the year celebration.

Watching the Ironman is emotional for any triathlete. Watching so many people pulling every ounce of strength to complete their goals and becoming something bigger then themselves. So much motivation, so much inspiration...

At the club's celebration, I was awarded the 2011 Triathlete of the Year! Such an honor to be recognized by my peers.

I had a breakthrough year. I'm so blessed to be supported by the wife, Abby! She believes in me through ever thing. She is there during my victories, but more importantly she is there during my lows. All I could think about last night was how lucky I am.

Well I guess I should get back to the main topic of "off season." My usual year would go like this...run, run, run, run some more then dust off the bike around March or so then work into tri season until October and then go back and run. This year I'm deciding to forgo my first love of hitting the pavement and focus on becoming a better triathlete not a better runner. I decided to focus on becoming a better cyclist therefore bought a road bike and started lifting specific cycling muscles. Decided to become a better overall swimmer therefore working on I.M. work in pool...aka more pain from coach Agnese (oh...check out Steve and Agnese's website Triathlon Rocks). Two things to get from Triathlon Rocks: 1) "I pee on my bike" shirt 2) lat cords. Both will change your life.

I feel this will make me more competitive and faster in triathlons. Will this hurt my run? Only one way to find out, but from previous years; I have been able to peek on the run in 6-8 weeks. So anyways...focus on Eagleman 70.3 and Kona qualification.

No off season this weekend...Saturday was filled with 6 mile run with hills at tempo pace plus lifting and Sunday was the longest ride since 70.3 Worlds at 50 miles with 7x10 min power intervals and a coaching session with Agnese to focus on back and fly strokes. So much props for those butterfly swimmers.

Good luck to everyone in their training and reaching your goals.

2012 Race Schedule...I think

I pretty much figured out my 1st half of my race schedule...the second half gets a little hairy depending on my performance the Eagleman 70.3 in June. But here it goes...

January

- Ringling Bridge run (SHS XC has a team...watch out team New Balance)

February

- Chilly Willy Duathlon at Ft. Desoto

- Rock n' Roll Half Marathon in St. Petersburg

- Scrub Jay 10K in Sarasota

March

- Gate River 15K run in Jacksonville (Great post-race...fast course)

- Clermont Olympic (getting ready for Rev3 Knoxville)

April

- Escape from Ft. Desoto (not totally sure on this one) Fun course but might have to be a wicked training week

- No Boston Marathon (decided to focus on my weakness this off season and leave my marathon to another year)

May

- Rev3 Knoxville Half [1st Rev3 ever! Super psyched!]

June

- Eagleman 70.3 in Cambridge, MD [Kona qualifier...need top 2!! This is why I'm doing heavy bike and swim training! This is my race of the year...let's do this!]

So, everything after June really depends on my success of Eagleman, but I'm definitely going to do Rev3 Portland (July 8), Rev3 Wisconsin Dells (August 12), and Rev3 Florida (October 27-28)

July

Rev3 Portland Half

August

Rev3 Wisconsin Dells Olympic

October

Kona?....hopefully

Rev3 Florida Half

More to come later for second half...

Any other recommendations?

I'm back!

Did my first "hard" run since my achilles inflamed about three weeks ago! Ran with my friend and fellow mix1 athlete Marco! 2 miles easy + 2 miles at tempo pace + 1 mile warm down. The tempo section felt amazing. Nothing spectacular but glad to be back. Plus I got the insight on the Benderson Park being constructed in North Sarasota. It's going to be amazing! Rowing, XC races, ITU races...infinite possibilities!

Weekend's WO

Got three rides in with my road bike this weekend! Feeling good...actually got in some 6x10 min 11 tooth intervals with 2 minute easy spin today! I got back into my run too...2 mile and 3 miler just for testing purposes. Achilles still felt a little tight, but no pain in the run. Still icing and limited running, but I'm hoping in a couple days to build up into 5-6 miles. Saturday evening was spent with Abby's parents up in Tampa...checked out New World Brewery pub (ah I missed you...haven't been there since college), Cigar City Brewery, and then of course Mellow Mushroom for some Kosmic Karma!! Good times! Now for a relaxing Sunday of Football and maybe a beach cruiser ride...