Blog

Ed Donner

IRONMAN TRIATHLETE

Hammerhead OLY(training race) 4th OA

Since I haven't done an oly in a while decided to do one with my training partner and girlfriend(Kaitlin Shiver) over the weekend. We had trained up to the race with no taper. On the swim I had ended up on the 2nd main pack pulling these guys. One guy kept tapping my feet the whole ride, I almost turned around and smacked him with my calf, but woulda knocked him out. I felt I had an ok swim, not great but not bad. Onto the bike, My chain came off out of t1, had to put it back, on shook it off and stayed positive... It was a 2 lap bike, for some reason my first lap, my quads were just burning, and I was getting passed by guys-rarely happens.. I hung in there, and finally after 20-30 minutes, picked it up to normal speed. I'm not sure if this is due to training up to the race, improper bike warm up, or kicking too hard on the swim.. It happend to me at St. Anthony's also, but not MIT. Coming off the bike I somehow managed to get in 3rd place and felt ok. I was runnning low 6's, there were quite a few rolling hills on this run.. Weather was cloudy and cool.. I ran my way to 2nd and all I had to do was just hold on pace and woulda overtaken the number one guy.. By mile 4-6 pace was slowing down, then I get passed by two guys in mile 5 as I'm running 7:30 miles-which is my goal ironman pace.... I'm not sure if I was just cooked or training wasnt up to par, it was not dehyration though... So I'll cough it up to a training race as it wasn't even on the calendar but added a few weeks ago for fun. Overall it was a good training race. Usually the bike is where I put time on people and can back it up with a good run.. I just had an ok swim, ok bike, and ok run.. Nothing was outstanding. Back to training..

Family fitness weekend Tri 1st OA

I felt I had a decent race here today.   Leading up to the race had some solid high intensity bikes and runs and put a lot of time into these areas, while letting my swim drop a little and it showed.. Very pleased with my bike split, my garmin said 26mph for the bike and also found my optimal cadence for this short distance. The swim, i didnt feel good at all, trouble breathing and just wasnt in a groove at all, not happy with the swim as I will be knocking out 5G's in the morning to get some of it back.. On the run it was just hot and humid as usual and painful. I was sub 6min mile till the cross country portion of the course and saw I would win. It was a fun race prepping for Nats in September.. After focusing on long course for a couple years, short course allows me to have higher intensity sessions biking and running. Not having to do 100 mile bike rides opens up a lot of time and energy!! For Nats, I believe if I can put it together I can place pretty high.

Summer update

I had IM Louisville on the schedule, but deciding to rebuild my fitness again as it was missing long work... I'm debating on an IM in November??? Maybe.. After reflecting on IMCDA's disappointment it comes down to one thing.. Doing the work.. The faster you are at short course, the faster you're at long course, I've decided to focus on this.. There are some fun short races I plan on doing in the next few weeks...

IMCDA
RR

Headed into the race I knew I was not adequately prepped for the Iron Distance. You can get away at the half iron distance, but Not IM. Last season I had several 100 mile rides under my belt averaging 22ish mph, but not this season.. A lack of specific training, which is fine if you just trying to finish, not podium. Im looking forward to some fun short course races this summer and fall, ending with Clearwater in Nov.

Hawaii 70.3 Race report

So this was my 9th attempt at the spot, 7 IM's and 2 half IM qualifiers, and quite a bit of investment of time and $$$in 3.5 years-unsuccessful. I have gotten faster and would consider me FOP of Age groupers by my past race results but still not enough.... Getting the slot however requires not only years of hard work, buta perfect execution of the race, and little luck all coming together(which is the participants list).  Onto the race.. This is very long!
The days leading up to the race as I was biking the course and decending down the kona hills with nasty side gusts blowing me nearly off the bike, I was a little nervous. It was a place where all the tough variables come together to make it a challenging course. The heat I knew I could handle giving perfect nutrition-which is where I ulimately failed. I think its one of those courses that take a few tries to get it down. Race morning the wind gusts in the early hours were blowing over 20mph down the lava fields which would make it an interesting day. Onto the swim, the chop wasn't that bad, but It was a mass start which I didn't find out till race morning!!! I lined up pretty close to the front a waited for the cannon, I knew there would be some bumping as 1600 swimmers headed for the sharp turn at the first buoy. As the cannon shot off I was swimming as very hard at the start to try and get some room, but everyone else was doing the same, I was working hard, but stayed very relaxed and didnt feel like I wasnt breathing very hard which was a good sign of me being fit!! a good sign was that there was a lot of free space 10 minutes in, meaning I had managed to get sepearted and was on my way to a decent swim!!! Towards the end I started fading as people started passing me the last stretch!! coming out of the water in 31 minutes was pretty good, I was shooting for sub 30, but pleased with the swim.HR was 170 at the end of the swim. Ended up 18th coming out in my AG. You then had to run up a steep hill to the bikes in transition, my HR was skyrocket.. Onto the bike. I was curious how I would respond to the decending down the mountains full speed while side gusts were blowing.. After the 2nd mile, my salt tablets popped out of my side pocket as they almost did in FL 70.3. I need a new jersey or pocket. This tabs had abou 15 tablets that would prevent me from cramping on the run and hold my liquids in. I knew this would come back to bite me.... I tried to hydrate with more gatorade on the bike then water to increase my electrolyte intake.. I know my body well though. Salt tabs work period.... As I was working through the bike course it was the hardest course ever!! Huge crosswinds and headwinds.. There was climb to Hawi which was probably 10-15miles of steady climing with a headwind!!! At the turnaround my average was 20mph!!! I held over 24mph at fl half.. I was worried that I wasnt working hard enough, but my HR said I was!! Coming back the decents were fast and the you could tell when a side gust was coming as the biker front of you was biking at an angle!!! Hard to understand unless you have done this course!!! But I had no fear and just trusted the bike and my skills. On the way back went full blast pedaling down the decents at high speeds with nasty crosswinds... As I was nearing t2, there wasnt that many people around me but was wondering why my bike was 21.6mph average, as I just held 24.1 at the same distance 3 weeks prior!! I thought I was out of contention for podium, but knew I had to have a killer run in the heat and hills!!! Onto the run!!! Legs were feeling good, was average 6:30's as trained, was passing everyone, same effort level as FL. 70.3!!! same heat, maybe a little less heat!! the difference was one thing SALT!!!! I was passing people left and right working my way up!! At mile 5 still averaging 6:30's!! Then it happended, as it has in the past!! CRAMPS!!! left quad cramped, forcing me to stop, I was feeling good same as fl 70.3!! Then I had to walk for a minute, someone came by and like a cool dude gave me 2 salt tabs!! It took a minute to kick in cramps were gone! But too much fluid lost, I was cooked and had mentally given up as I thought I was out of contention with a 21.6mph bike average.. Remember you dont know where you stand the whole race place wise!! So Mentally had given up for a bit, so for the last 7 miles I jogged 8min miles and cheered everyone on as they came by, and took in the course and lava fields.. My run average was still 7:34 with 7 miles jogging-hard to believe!!!! I had no clue that I was in 10th at the end I was thinking like 20th or 30th! After crunching the numbers, With my crappy bike split I would of ended up a low 4:40 or around 5th place or so, 4th at best..My estimate is the course was 10-15 min slower than FL. There were 2 kona slots so one and two got them. Have a crappy run and still end up 10th is not bad... Through 5miles my run was 6:39 pace, just like fl 70.3, the difference was too much fluid was lost to replace as for bigger athletes causes a higher sweat rate. I knew I could hold this effort level as I just did 3 weeks ago and was feeling great... I would not of gotten my slot even I ran to my potential, but would of podium'ed in my skewed opinion. The bike split, I'm not sure why I was so slow.. Lack of work in the hills, living in FL, strength on the bike???? So overall it was a fun experience and I always wanted to race in Kona. Had a little taste of the lava fields!! Lessons to learn- new strategy to hold salt tabs, also back up salt for t2 bag for the run in case!! Next race?? I'm not sure??

Fl 70.3 Race Report!!!

It took me 4 tries but finally executed this race EXACTLY as planned!! This is a tough race to run in the heat and humidity-a bigger guys nightmare!! I am extremely pleased about seeing a lot of hard work come together. Even on the swim, did a 36 in 2007,35 in 2008,34 last year, then 33 this year... I think it just shows how long it takes to become a swimmer and I'm not even a fast swimmer to a swimmer!! My 33 min swim to 27min swim for a swimmer-thats just a 6min lead they get with the same effort level.. One day the work ethic and technique will come together for a good swim... HAHA. Onto the race!!
I showed up extremely early as usual to knock everything out so I can chill till the race start. My wave was the absolute last wave out of 22 waves, It means my age group would be running at the hottest part of the day.. There is a big difference between 9 and 11am if you are starting your half mary.. I knew all this so would just do my best. The swim was ok, I felt very relaxed heading into this and never really felt as I was working hard enough, that is until 15 minutes in had to start working around all the previous waves.. It definately costs time and energy doing this. I was actually starting to get a little fatigued towards the end and was glad to get out and get onto the bike. I was pretty winded from the swim so had to take a few breaths to catch up on the bike. Once I got on the bike my legs were tight the whole ride and ate 1500 calories on the bike and was still short, I ran out of gels. Not one person passed me on the bike the whole ride, I kept my HR under 150, avg HR was 147 and held 24-25mph most of the way. My legs were tight the whole way though, I was curiuous how I was going to run. Let me say it was dangerous passing probably 1000 bikers, couple close calls, lots of yelling on your left the whole ride just for safety purposes. I had dialed in exactly the right about of fluids, and saltsick tabs on the bike to retain all my fluids.. Bike was 2:19 or 24.1 with HR at 147-very pleased at the how low my hr was. Onto the run, this is where I had not been able to put together an actual run, but just slug through 13.1 miles at this race!! It was hot, humid, I was out the gate at a 5:55 pace, then slowed down to low 6 min miles, just felt great, then settled down. First lap was 6:42ish avg, then slowly faded to 6:50's. I had made the committment to not see any 7 min miles on this run. I had believed I could run in this heat and just refused to slow down. On the cement part of this course I was in the 6:30's,on the trails 6:50's or so.. During the weak moments I stayed extremely positive and refused to slow down-sticking to the committment and goals I had written down. I wanted to win my AG from the get go and told the people around me. Even though everyone is out there, its a solo race, you swim by yourself, bike by yourself, and run all on your own-self motivation is key. I even get pumped and yell out myself out there when I start fading.. I do however apologize to the people that I nearly knock down when I pass. the paths were very narrow so I had to hit a lot of shoulders. Also I made a committment to a pace and refused to slow down-I had won the mental battle yesterday between myself which was the most important part of the race for me. Just one step closer to overall goal. The last lap hurt pretty bad but held on, I knew I was top 5, but just didnt know how I placed. 4:28 and 1st AG and rightfully earned the slot back to Clearwater for the Ironman World Championship 70.3.. Since I'm going to Hawaii 70.3 in 2.5 weeks and going for the kona slot there, I had to place well here to let me know that I even have a shot at that race as there is a kona slot of the winner of the AG. If I can execute the race exactly as planned like this one then I know I will have a shot. Just wanted to thank everyone who chips in with training, support, and nutritional needs that allow me to do what I do!!

St. Anthony's Race report

I felt I had a flat race on sunday. My legs didn't have the zing from the previous week... I think its hard to train long for IM's and try to race for speed at the same time.. It had been windy and know that when there is a chop, swim times are slower heading into a race for most people.. I have been cranking some steady swim volume since dec so was hoping to still have a decent swim.. Heading out in the 3rd wave with the elites, I was relaxed and chill as usual just another day racing.. From the start it was a pretty fast start I found myself nice and relaxed and had my breathing controlled unlike the previous weekend. It was a long swim.. Halfway through I had gotten punched in the face by this guy that kept swimming next to me, there was nobody around but he stayed on my line and just kept annoying me for about 10 min.. Eventually I had to shake him off with a little friendly nudge. I actually had to stop and put my goggles back on, thankfully they didnt fall off. On the last buoy the drift was tough, I kept finding myself far away drifting with the current and losing lots of time.. My swim was 23ish, when just last month I was around 20min at MIT. I was glad to get out of the water and head to the bike.. My swim time was unusual, the decent swimmers were a minute or two faster, and the ok swimmers way way slower. I have noticed that rough waters have wider disparity for any non swimmers. I was in no mans land so found myself with nobody around on the bike for some time.. It was a real clean bike ride the whole way at least amongst the guys around me.. I finally didnt pick it up till halfway through the ride. It was a nasty wind the whole way.. Bike avg was near 24 on my computer.. Off to the run, I was debating on using the garmin. I think i can getaway on short races without it , but 10k or longer my legs decieve me and tell me they are working harder than usual. I felt I was working hard the whole race, but came up with a flat run of 38:33.. Nothing special and not much zing.. Overall time was 2:07ish and 18th elite out of 53 which was decent-but certainly off my full potential at my current fitness level.. The good news is I think only a few people passed me overall on the bike and run. I was picking people off on the run. The issue has to do with getting out of the water with the fast guys so you can bike and run with them. That 3-4minutes lost on the swim makes the biggest difference overall as you end up racing a different group of athletes then those at the front of the pack... More effort on my part has to be given to swimming faster. I have fl 70.3 in a few weeks to prep for, another killer week in training this week also..When you do a race several years in a row, its nice to compare previous years times.

Ron Jon triathlon Race report

I was feeling a bit fatigued heading into the race from the previous week of training.. The weekend Before my coach had me do a 2000 yard swim, 90 mile bike and 12mile run in one day preping for hawaii and IMCDA, which was close to a 7 hr brick..  BUT, Little did I know that I would end up running a PR on the sprint... On the swim, from the start my breathing was real heavy and couldnt get into a rhythm until a few minutes into it. I had seen a couple others ahead of me on the swim including Grogan who I knew would be trading with throughout the day.. Heading into t2 felt ok and took off for the bike, I had not garmin on the bike and run again since one of my garmins has issues... All I know Is My quads were burning the whole ride, I have no idea of speed, I kept my cadence higher than usual because I knew it would come down to the run... Right before the turnaround took lead of the race and passed one swimmer who was way out there... Heading back to transition, more burning quads and felt a little fatigued but pressed forward onto the run..My guess is that I had averaged close to 26mph... I had the lead by about 5-10 seconds and was running strong, but breathing extremely heavy...I saw Grogan was near and catching up so I pulled back some and took a breath of fresh air.. As He came by since hes outran me in like 4 of the past races, I wanted to fade bad, but something inside said to hold on and just look at his shoes and keep with him.. Im guessing we were running 5:40-5:50's, it hurt the final 2 miles, he picked it up with a quarter mile to go, I had no gears left to sprint, heartrate all maxed out... I was about 2-3 seconds behind him till he picked it up and sprinted to the finish... After the race I thought I had done bad, because I felt so bad the whole race.. Little did I know I biked and ran a PR, so was pleased overall... 2nd OA with a strong effort.. My coach had told me to go into the hurt locker so I did finally this race and stayed there... Next weekend is St. Anthony's and hope that I can go into this locker again.. I want to break 2 hrs and hurt badly.. I just want to thank everyone that supports me on this venture in life and believes in me- My coach, training partners, friends and fam, and blue boootaaayy...

FLORIDA TODAY:

http://www.floridatoday.com/article/20100419/SPORTS/4190312/1002/SPORTS/Grogan%20edges%20Donner%20%20wins%20Ron%20Jon%20Triathlon

Miami Intl. triathlon race report

I was feeling great heading into the race seeing PR's in the pool and running... I had a quesion mark on my bike as I had not seen the same numbers as last february on the bike... Headed in the swim, I was extremely relaxed which was a good sign for me.. After the initial rush I had finally settled into a rhythm 10 minutes in and started somehow increasing my turnover like a madman.. By the last Buoy I had seen a group out a little ahead of me, so I slowly worked my way towards them. I knew my swim was decent because everyone had disappeared around me... When I saw the clock it did some calculating to where I was since there were 2 waves in front of me-I was thinking 20ish, not bad..... Ended up 20:46.
Heading onto the bike I was feeling great and barely breathing so I was in good swim shape and fitness was high. On the bike we had to climb the causeway 4 times... As I was looking a my bike pace I was wondering why my speed was flat.. I had seen 25+ in training and did my threshold hr pace was 163hr and over 25mph which indicates your approx olympic pace.. The numbers don't lie. It had worked in the pool as I had predicted a 20:30 based on my goal T-PACE of 1:18 in the pool, just a few seconds off of that.. There really is no suprises you do enough training and are quantitative-you pretty much know what your range is within a few seconds.  So by the end of bike I was back to around 24mph for the bike split and was ok with it, time to crank the run!!
Got onto the run and legs felt fresh and breathing was low-I was in good shape.. Somehow right out the gate I had dropped my garmin on the ground and luckily another elite behind me gave it to his buddy, who eventually yelled at me during the race that his friend had it.. Awesome guys-this was my competition who had taken time to yell at me during the race as we were crossing.. When I'm running I usually dont talk because my heartrate is always skyrocket... So on the run, without my garmin, I never really knew what I was running.. My garmin gives me direct feedback on my footwork..ITS A HUGE ASSET!! It tells me when I'm spending too much time on the ground and not turnover enough or smacking the ground directly... Based on training and a 10k a few weeks back I had come up with 5:57-6:04 Functional threshold pace for my 10k off the bike... Well I wasn't too far off, but I had a decent run- 6:09 pace, I had too much energy in me at the finish line as when I crossed I took my own chip off. Overall I liked the race and had a good race-not great, some more work needed on the bike, my swim is on fire-just need to maintain, and my running is solid-just didn't put it all together.. Overall time 2:03:33.. I was shooting for sub 2, again it was the frst tri of the season and is about working out kinks.. I thank my coach and finally got to meet some BZ elite squad members.. Back to training!!

Hawaii 70.3 added to calendar

Glad to say its on the calendar 3 weeks prior to IMCDA this June.   It'll be the first shot @ the big dance this year, one of 3 attempts... This past weekend I also raced in a local 10k this year to get some feedback on fitness. I did a 36:29, or 5:52 pace. Last year I did a 37:16. The improvement year over year has been about a minute a year in the 10k distance over the past few years. Its pretty decent for a 184lb guy.. I feel I'm just scratching the surface and I have a 35 in me soon.. Yesterdays race was at the end of a 20hr week, so definately wasn't fresh.. I'm just looking for year over year improvement so I know I'm not wasting my time and $$$.... The big difference this year is the direct coaching under Bodyzen.com.

Half Mary

I did a local half mary on Sunday and pleased with my results... A half mary is an unusual type of distance because its seems you can go very close to 10k pace and hold on the last half... I ended up running it in 1:21 and holding onto 6:11 pace, with extremely even splits taking out the 2 bridges we climbed.. A good sign of this years tri season!!!!

Biking Risk

Man, its inevitable over the years and stacking on the mileage that there will be a vehicle with your name on it----unfortunately... I can name about 10 triathletes/cyclists around me that have had encounters with these cars in the past couple years.. Then end result is typically a broken collarbone, wrist, etc---- best case scenario.. Its sux about the cyclist killed down in the keys hit by the muscian last week... Everytime we get on the road our life is litereally in the hands of the driver rolling up on us, which that person may be texting or on the phone.... Ideally I know some guys that buy a computrainer and do the work all indoors and completely avoid outdoor riding-thats one solution... Over the next 5 years and thousands of miles I've decided to make the committment to drive to a fairly isolated area where there are a few things that help me out- no guarantees of course.

Stay away from heavy traffic, especially intersections with cars turning or coming out near by

Stay on long roads with at least, half a mile visability where most likely I am the only moving object

Wearing Orange reflectors on my ankles(starting using again)

Always look back ,especially when vehicles are oncoming to ensure the vechicle behind you passing won't have to zing you to squeeze by you...

The local traffic where I train is boring and I do laps of 40 miles avoiding intersections and heavy traffic

Never ever flip off or confront a driver, unless you are moving and never want to ride there again, If I get honked at its usually women checking me out or the guys are gay

Ride in groups if you can

Pray for safety...

20+1+59+1+37

If you can figure out these numbers you know whats up.... I did a small race over the weekend, it was supposed to be an oly, but ended up a sprint duathlon for me due to the cold weather in the teens.. I get a pleasure out of suffering, thats why Ironman and endurance sports suits me well. I ended up doing 2 TT's for my coach yesterday to set my HR zones, and I was pleased with my splits.... I'll give you a hint the my TT is what that (59) above is all about.. Its right in line with my goals for the season.... My first shot will be in March at MIT in Miami.. Here is a photo of a race over the weekend... the = to the numbers above is 1:58.

Its been a while since I've wrote anything.. Training is going good. I also ran my first half mary last saturday- a pretty hilly course. I was pleased I had no idea of what pace I can hold.. I ended up at 1:24 or 6:29 pace which is decent, but not a time of someone at the next level-so plenty of room to work... Ended 4th OA. I've been training high quality sessions all around and am feeling good about next season... For those that talk about off season-there is no off-season in my world-You're either getting faster or slower!!!

2010 Season Goals

    Starting my 4th season in tri's, I feel that I am close to some breakthrough races. We all envision that perfect race of effortless-faster paces which we can hold and winning. Tri's to me mean more than just staying in shape, meeting great people, and getting to eat as much as you want. For me its a reflection of my life of and discovering one thing- What am I capable of??   Its self discovery of oneself during weak moments, during pain and suffering, and glory. One area I need to increase the threshold in training is pain management.. I need to be able to take my pain managment and discomfort to another level.. I'm re-reading "Brain Tranning For Runners"for about the 5th time-(Best running book out there). Anyhow it states that there is a difference between pain and suffering.. You can experience a lot of pain without it being suffering-which is where I'm trying to focus on.. Some times are:

5k-17:45ish
10k- 36ish
TT-26mph-ish
1500 Swim-Sub 20min
Half Mary- 1:23ish
Oly-Sub 2hrs
Half IM- 4:2x
IM Sub 9:45

Newton's

Its been 2 full sesason's of racing with the newton distance Stability racer injury free.. If you haven't worn these shoes they are light and comfortable and promote forefoot striking. My old style of running had my braking every stride-which is what you do when you land on your heels. I haven't tried the distance trainer since I do all of my training on Asic's 2140's for more cushioning. The newtons also seem to last a lot longer than a regular pair of racing flats. The lugs at the bottom help promote correct form which is important. All in all, I recommend them..
Here's the link to the site..

http://www.newtonrunning.com/run-better/optimal-running-form

2010 Coaching and New mental game

Starting on Dec 1st, I will working with Coach Lee and The Bodyzen Elite Squad! I'm excited for next season as I am looking to take my training and racing to the next level... Some of my key races will be
St. Anthony's Oly, FL 70.3, IMCDA, and IMLOU if needed....

I've been thinking at the reason my run is where it is at- and it is my own fault for believing.... Believing in what I hear, its the"you're too big" syndrome... About 5 times a week I here about my size and running in a negative manner.... And since I have heard this hundreds of times since I've started endurance sports- I started believing these clowns and have made it a crutch... It is merely an excuse not a reason.. Believing in yourself is crucial to success in business and life... So from now on I am skinny Ed- fast and nimble and there is no difference between the two of Us. Hi, my name is Ed and I am a distance runner..... :)



Good Write ups

http://alancouzens.blogspot.com/

My Annual No more Excuses blog

Every year I find myself making excuses and trimming future expectations based on the previous season... Too much muscle, started too late in life, too expensive, that guy is a twig, the FL humidity, little ol' swine flu bug, etc..... HTFU!!!! Time to throw every excuse out the window and get back to my old self.... Which is: The only limits out there on the ones I put on myself. I need to keep my mind free from negative thoughts and reasons why I have not hit my goals or improvements...... Its as simple as going out 2-4 hours every day and doing the work and staying positive....

Grammar

Bad Grammar disclosure- Sorry to all of you who have to read my blogs and see all the run-on sentences and spelling errors.. I usually re-read it a couple days after I write it....

Season Done

I'm finally glad to end the season on a decent note at Clearwater. I also felt great, no issues yesterday, maybe a little lost fitness from the bug.  I pretty much did my own raced, got passed by 5 or 6 packs, but only averaged 24.1, whene the packed came by they were 25-26ish.. Also, had an error finding my bag in t1, loss of 8 minutes.. On the run, I felt great, could of picked it up the whole time, but just chose a steady finish not knowing if the dehydration was near... Finish time 4:40- minus 8 min error in t1, is low 4:30... It doesn't matter though as I just wanted to end the season strong and healthy.. I'll be assessing myself objectively to see what needs to change for next season....The carbo pro worked well on the half, as I didn't take any gels on the 13.1 miles...

IMFL

Race week ended up being bedridden with the flu... I've never ended up doing nothing for 4 days straight.. Anyhow, had a bug and major dehydration all week...So I was still I'll but my friend was racing his first IM and we had gotten a sweet penthouse condo-So I headed up thursday.. Pissing yellow the day before and IM and morning of are all bad signs.... During the race I wanted stop after the swim, but kept going to see what would happen... My Heartrate on the bike stayed extremely low the whole ride, average hr 130, unusually low. Couldn't take in too much hydration on the bike as my stomach was bloated... You never know how your body will respond till you start running.... The bad sign was taking that first piss-as it was the same color as post a 20 mile run here in FL.  As soon as I started running my legs were extremely heavy and I knew by mile 3 I didn't want to be out here so made the decision, save the legs spare the health and bail.. That second lap just wasn't worth another medal-high risk low return. The hardest part is having to explain to everyone that I am pleased with my decision... To me I personally Race Ironman to qualify to kona not for medals..... The Pro's race to win prize money and podium, if things are off they bail... Thanks to everyone for tracking me.. Clearwater is this weekend and am looking forward as long as all systems are go...

Taper

I decided to bail on the GREAT FLORIDIAN aquabike the last day due to some immune system issues.. Even though Im the king of HTFU, It would of created a deficit that could of jeapardized 2 RACES, not just one.... Finished up last peak week on a good note... I don't think I've ever ended the last session on a high note, I hope that it wasn't my peak???? Usually the last sessions are deep fatigue and DOMS for several days... I cranked my last 80 mile ride pushing a big gear the whole time seems to be the key instead of spinning... I held a steady 23-24mph the whole ride average hr 149, 23.4mph average- a PR for training, non draft, non race wheels. I hope I can maintain this fitness for 12 days till the race next Saturday... This is above my race hr as I'll be in the 130-140's.. I'm in my taper but will continue to turn a big gear on my last few rides to mainintain strength, just trimming mileage.... Getting a spot to Kona is pretty much difficult, but this race will be about fun and letting it all hang...... I feel I'm ready to race the swim, I did at 1:04 last year, so am shooting for around an hour on the swim, the key is pacing with a group... I have A CO2 build up strategy which causes me to slow down typically... Swimming is a whole other ballgame, I've been doing short and fast stuff for the past couple months and and setting swimming PR's... On the bike, Somewhere around 5 hours, and on the run in the 3:30's... My weakness has been running out of calories and dehydration around miles 12-18....Even in cool weather I get dehyrated so need to salt tab it up... I'll be battling for a sub 10 race, but anything can happen like last year flatted out at mile 2 on the bike, and had to ride 110 miles at around 90psi....wasted energy and lost 10-15 minutes... I'll be carrying carbo pro on the bike and run and should help out nicely...
Because Clearwater half IM is the following weekend, I need to focus on recover immediately after the IM, so ice heat and massage.. It'll be a fact that I will not be fully recovered in one week, so clearwater will be about the experience...

Last Peak week

I nailed a session on saturday 112 miles on the bike and 12 mile tempo run. sub 7 minute miles.. If you do IM's your probably used to working out from 9am to 5pm... But if you haven't done IM's their is a lot of time spent alone listening to music ,daydreaming, and observing nature.. When you're on the bike for over 5 hours- It takes a certain person to want to do this over and over season after season. I read a lot on maximizing one's full potential in endurance sports and one belief is that aerobic volume 2-4 hours a day EVERY DAY over the course of 10 years is the way to maximize this. So never sacrificing the next day's workout with too much intensity or too much volume as you will feel this.. Keep in mind this is for IM training rather than short course training.. The link below is a good read... I believe I solved my nutrition deficency by switching to Carbopro- liquid calories.. According to them, 2 scoops is equal to a half pound of pasta or one pound of potattoes in complex carbohydrates... Being a bigger dude at 183lbs of stacked muscle, I require more calories, and my hydration and salt intake rate is off the chart.. I'lll test this out at IMFL with loading up on the bike with carbopro and running with it...

http://www.gordoworld.com/alternativeperspectives/2007/06/lydiard-method-scientific-perspective.html

IMFL

Last 3 key sessions to execute in the next 10days-the rest are just fillers and active recovery... 80/4 brick on wednesday, done with ease.. 112/12 faster than race pace tomorrow, Tue-Long run 20miler(middle miles tempo), Sat-2.4m mile Swim/Bike112/30 min run next saturday at the Great Floridian... I'm using the Clermont race as my last key workout 2 weeks prior to IMFL.. The combo of hills and heat, shoud line me up for a PR bike run @ IMFL.   Two weeks seems to be the perfect time for a taper for me...

Healthfirst OLY 1st OA

Three years ago, I trained for this triathlon as my first tri as it was a local triathlon and I had joined a summer camp.. It was nice to revisit this event and end up 1st.. I definately shouldn't of raced as I was ill with the flu and dehyrdrated with low energy,body aches and a massive headache...... I almost bailed at 3am of the race, but really just wanted to see everyone and support them as it was local and I knew I would feel better.. It hurt extra bad and my splits sucked... I felt better at the start, just NO energy at all.. The Swim wasn't too bad, but the bike I had no power, only averaged 23, had to dig and stop pedaling several times due to fatigue, the run- ouch, I hovered around 7 minute miles which is 40-60 seconds slower per mile than my last 3 olympic tri's... I'm definately not disappointed in my performance as I was operating at prob 70% capacity.. The extra longer swim helped me put minutes on the guys in second and third... Even though the swimmer who dusted all of us came out 4-5 minutes ahead, It wasn't that I had a bad swim, it was he was swimming that good!! The secret to racing Sunday and holding on was calories... I knew I had fatigue- In a 2 hour race that I went into carbo loaded I ate 1500 calories in 2 hours.... 2 gels before the swim, 5 gels on the bike, 2 bottles of 2 scoops of acderade, and carbo pro on the run 300 calories drink... 1500...

FL TODAY ARTICLE

Becoming a student of the sport: I have read around 10 books over the past few years and 3 great books over and over- Brain Training for Runners, Triathletes training bible, and Going Long.. I have read each of these 3-5 times as I pick up more info each time I read it.. My friend got me Fit Soul and Fit body by Mark Allen-It good so far a few chapters in it...

Last 2 weeks of prep till IMFL, then the taper... I really have to get in some key workout sessions these next 2 weeks...

I just got in my new shades From SPORTIVA IMPORTARE and can't wait to sport them in on all of my future races!!

Florida Challenge Half IM

Good training race on sunday in Clermont, FL. I ended up 4th OA on a hot, humid, and, windy, then rainy day!! I was pleased with the swim and bike as I held a solid pace on a tough course, and a new PR on the swim-non wetsuit. As for the run, there were some minor rolling hills that did the job for it making it a great training race for IMFL in 5 weeks... I faded some at the end of the run due to a lack of calories, but finished strong- missed 3rd by 8 seconds-a guy in a different wave... Next up is HealthFirst Oly along wit hsome long bricks coming up...

New Sponsorship deal
Swiss Eye/ Sportiva Importare USA

Just wanted to thank my friend Rich Roll the 2009 Men's Fitness Fittest guy in the World for passing along an introduction for me to Sportiva Importare USA... I'm excited To team up with these guys as they are the sole distributor of high end European Eyewear until now have not been available in the US. I'm checking out the line in the next few days and will be sure to be sporting these guys. I'll be sure and post some pics and reviews on these bad boys!!

http://swisseye.com/Swiss_Eye_catalogue0910_lowres.pdf

Speed and Coach

I'm excited about next season already even though I have a tough line up the next 6 weeks including an IM, 2 halfs, and an OLY!! Getting to that next level will be challenging but I have to train faster to get faster at short course racing to race faster at long course.. All the numbers are tied together.. Sub 10 IM'ers Next season's preliminary goals will be taking my oly time under 2hrs, this is very doable @ 20+1+59+1+38=1:59. The only number=the 59- which is the 40k bike is now doable with the specialized ride as I gained 1mph in time.. Working on speed this winter and lots of intervals on the bike and track work... I'm hiring a coach also as I need some direction...

http://spacecoastmultisport.com/newsblog.html

Downtown Orlando tri

Its been a good week of training based on how sore my legs are!! I did a sprint tri yesterday,placed 3rd OA, SHOULD of been second but got passed up at the end-my fault-won't happen again, always finish strong.. I blame Garmin satellites for failing me!!!!! I def. am not a runner by feel I need to know what pace I'm going especially towards the end of the race.. I had a lot of lactic acid build up in the quads from the week of iron training...The garmin for me actually tells me when my footwork is off... I have had a good week of bricking and my long run is back on track... Next week is another full week of training, then I need to choose a half iron as prep for IMFL. Below are the results of the race and an updated photo....

http://bbactionphoto.com/

http://www.racesmith.com/results/2009results/OUCDOT091209oa.html

Back on track after 2 months of mediocrity &
rediscovery of ME

The past 2 months since IMCDA in June I have not fully dedicated myself to tri's.. I've raced plenty and did lots of short training and races and did ok...I did too much fun and late nights taking away from training.. I always like to evaluate 2 things time and money... The past 2 months these have been channeled in the wrong areas with no return on my time...... I broke my own rules... Usually the first 2 weeks after an IM I let loose in all aspects as I'm pretty disciplined.. This time it lasted 2 months... My dreams are more important to me and everyday counts towards the ultimate goal...I have a vision of where I will be in the next couple years and would like to channel everything towards these areas....
I had a chance to ride with a coach on Labor Day from down south who lives and breaths this stuff and reminded me that there are no limits...The most important thing for me is everything IN LINE with my goals.... So the fire is back.....

Oly tri in Orlando
1st Overall

I had a fun race on sunday racing an Olympic distance tri.. I've been racing a lot lately more for speedwork and fun..I was pleased with a bike PR and swim PR.. I have to admit, when you are paced by the vehicle its kind of fun on the bike.. It give you something to chase... I adjusted my positioning again as I had a spinscan bike expert critique my stroke and found a deadspot and have been working on efficency. My swim stroke needs work still as its sloppy in open water compared to the pool, the reason is I tend to breath on the right every stroke racing, but breath on the left training...I go faster on breathing left as I pull more water. My run form is lookin better as I noticed in the photos. My split wasn't that great as I didn't push it, but good form. I've still yet to go long on the bike and running with an IM 10 weeks a way so better WAKE UP real soon..

COOL BLOGS

http://www.alancouzens.blogspot.com/
http://mattfitzgerald.org/
http://www.trainingbible.com/joesblog/blog.html

Assessment

What seperates me from the the pack is being able to be objective about Myself and focus on constant improvement on a daily basis... Not only in triathlon but all my activities.... Being able to critique your strengths and weaknesses without "the ego" getting in the way is key... I would imagine any sort of physician or someone that has to give objective advice for a living is the same way-especially when there is tremendous value placed on these words... Acknowledging, attacking weak areas and being lazor focused on these areas will eventually lead to improvement... I'll use triathlon as an example... I'm a decent swimmer, biker, and runner but In the competitive world of triathlon I am not ELITE at one sport and would get dusted by top single sport Athletes... If you look at my placement at triathlons I am pretty consistent on my swim,bike, and run ranks within my age group or overall.. This factor makes me a decent triathlete... Now getting to the next level...Running a 15minute 5k or 32minute 10k is not in the cards for me EVER.. But over the next few years my swim technique and bike times will eventually match up with the those single sport guys... Ironman is where work ethic can attempt and have a shot @ triumph over VO2 MAX numbers....

Swim weaknesses-3 areas- Distance per stroke, quicker turnover, catch and pull(stop decelerating)

Bike weaknesses-Precision on my form, staying more aero and tight, leg imbalance(left leg) for technique

Run weaknesses- Increasing stride length @ same turnover rate, sustaining and increasing pain threshhold through relaxation, focusing on leg imbalance(left leg), driving the knees and hips MORE every stride...

The only way I know is consistent high mileage with good form over many years..

Loggerhead sprint

I did a pretty competitive sprint on Saturday in Jupiter, FL... I was shooting for top 5 guys, but ended up 6th OA.. I really enjoy going heads up against some of the fast guys.... The swim was a little choppy, had a rough start but finally got my groove on, ended up about 12th out of the water. On the bike, I need to figure out why my bike times always start slow, its either from a lack of swim fitness or sprinting through transition?? The first 15 minutes on the bike I'm unable to hammer it either due to heartrate being eleveated or lactic acid in the quads.... I'm pretty much get stuck averaging low numbers, then by the time I get my groove on I cranking 26ish mph easily.. Maybe a longer warm up would help out.. Onto the run, I was chilling running with the 4th-6th group as 1-3 were already far ahead...I am SO not used to running with people, so sprinted out of transition, got in front of them immediately and I think was cranking 5:40's or so, for the 1st mile(my garmin didn't work right).. They caught up to me, then we ran together, then I got DROPPED at mile 2..I died out there the last mile-it hurt pretty bad-Its August in FL and hot... Lesson is to run with the group for the first few miles, then pick it up if able to, I'm just not used to running in packs like ITU type of stuff... Heres a couple of videos of the race.. One is a bunch of drafters being caught(not me of course), the second is the race... Cool video, except, the joker didn't know who I was???So cut me out of all the clips... Don't he know who I is??????? LOL!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yuRSUVFMQ_E

Sprint Triathlon

I did a small sprint triathlon at the Scenic 17 tri somewhere near Lake wales Fl.. I had no idea there would be hills on the bike, but ended up 1st OA.. My run seems to be about 20 seconds slower, but there were some slight rolling hills on the run also.. It may either be the heat or my run fitness.. I haven't done a run longer than 8 miles since IMCDA.. Next up is Loggerhead sprint triathlon-should be fun.. These short ones keep me in shape with minimal effort.. I am gearing up for some longer stuff in the next few weeks for sure...

Good article on body composition and performance

http://www.xtri.com/features_display.aspx?riIDReport=5743&CAT=21&xref=xx

After this morning's 8 mile tempo run-these are the words coming outta my mouth... You always compare your runs to when you were at a higher fitness level typically when peaking and cooler weather for me and solid nutrition, and low fatigue. Well this morning dropped a nice 8 miler tempo run in the swamp area i run in where I literally jump over dead animals on the side of the road... I'm back on track this week... Started yesterday out with a 2.5 hour bike run in the morning then run and swim in the evening...I need to get my volume and mileage back up, in order to do this I cannot be dieting, but feel I kinda near my physical goals.. I'll be honest I write a blog ONLY because I get lots of hits-not sure why???? but when I see all the hits I feel bad for not blogging, so I'll try and get back on track and try and spice it up some... Thanks for reading and I'll be sure and keep you'll posted, but heres what this fall looks like.. I'm debating on the Great floridian Ironman, then 2 weeks later IMFL,then the next week Clearwater 70.3, then 2 weeks after IMAZ(since I have some business out there in November I might as well throw in a little race..........Why I do this, I think there are parallels to a recent pit bull that I was watching for a month.... It was a pretty viscous and intense dog, yet peacefull dog....The Dog's potential is unlimited at any of its activites as its just on another level..... All day it would tear stuff up, my trees, cushions, more trees, more trees-it litererally ate the bark like it was attacking it like a mad dog-It was actually pretty scary to be near it as it nawwed on stuff... I got the dog into swimming in my pool... All day long- everytime I walked on the porch it would jump in the pool and swim like a mad dog biting the water.. It probably swam 20 plus times a day and would just do laps around the pool....The dog has lots of aggression and intensity and when channeled in the right direction is a good balanced dog.. It actually bit my head and my elbow 2 seperate times--oh and it paid for it don't worry........ I would watch the dog and think about its behaviors-it was a good dog overall as long as it got its heavy dose of excercise which tamed its behavior........ Anyways the pit is gone back to the owners and I actually miss it but the moral of the story is......I'm crazy!!! LOL.....

Oly tri to jumpstart my fitness

I did oly yesterday in Orlando just to get back on the grind... My volume is way off the compared to before IMCDA.. Running 30ish miles a week doesn't cut it for attempting to have a solid 10k run.. I had a chip on my back after CDA's ridiculiously slow swim time, so went out hard and maintained the pace throughout the 2 laps, with even splits at 10:40 after one lap, and around 10:30 after the second lap for a 21:10 swim.. I'm not sure on the accuracy of the swim, but looking at the top swimmers, it seemed about right. Onto the bike, immediately my quads were on fire from hammering the swim.. It took some time for the hr to settle down, meaning not in the best shape for me.. Finally downed a couple gels and was able to get my groove in.. I had noticed my form was quite off throughout the whole ride, Whenever I caught myself offtrack I immediately jumped to 25-26mph when I sit and crank a certain way.. The bike split was a little over 24mph, close to 1mph off my best... Onto the run, It's almost August here in florida, I'm an overweight guy(by triathlon standards) so overheat pretty easy, but rather than dehydration it was more of lack of training.. I could tell that the run would be off as by mile one I was at 6:11.. I'm almost always under 6 for the first mile then settle into a pace...I also weigh 10lbs less and ran slower isn't that interesting??? All this stuff about bodyweight is probably a myth as endurance athletes just use that as an excuse not to go to the gym... My reason for dropping weight is purely for personal vanity reasons rather than tri or fitness related. Something interesting started happening- I started coughing miles 2-6, some kind of itch in my throat that I still have today... I think its some sort of reaction to the water????? Anyways running a fast 10k and coughing about every minute leads to a jacked up heartrate and less oxygen... I had seen 2nd or 1st wasn't a possiblity so held off the guy in 4th for a 3rd place OA finish.... Of course after the race didn't get enough of a session, so went out for an easy bike ride, flatted out so cut it short.. It was a fun race and the truth is IMCDA was less than a month ago and I'm back out trying to recover from the major letdown, and having a little fun. I booked this rae at the last minute so i could gain some fitness for Loggerhead in 3 weeks.. Racing a lot is good way gain experience and get back in shape as its impossible to raise your game during training as you do in a race.. I think this is my 4th oly of the year...

Done dieting...

I've finally dropped off the extra "stuff" from IMCDA, it took about 2 weeks, but finally about 178 or about 10lbs lighter....I'm not sure how it'll affect racing, but I think I'm going to do an OLY tri this weekend to jumpstart back in shape.. I've been training the past few weeks around 12-15hours, but just not fully recovering properly due to other things.... I'm finally getting my spark back after bricking the last night with a solid performance... I've really been concentrating on increasing my stride length and stay airborne longer as its the only way for me to get faster at the moment as I think I have pretty quick turnover already.... Oh yea, on the 4th of July did a fun litte 5k in thick humidity, came out at 18:08-which I was pleased, but will eventually crack back into the 17's.... On tap for the fall is a couple sprints and olympics, then An IM in Clermont mid Oct- the Great Floridian, then 2 weeks later IMFL,then the next weekend Clearwater... Maybe a mary in Vegas in December also- you know just some regular racing. ;)..

Body comp week 2

Down close to 8lbs, around 6% BF......You cannot lose too much to fast or you will lose muscle... When Dieting and doing endurance sports you have to prefuel, fuel during, and immediate recovery drink as a priority....For me the difference has been a couple of tricks to cut Body Fat.... These do NOT include starving... A high fiber dinner...Its really as simple as if you want to get cut then you have to cut carbs, if you want to have energy you need carbs especially for IM training.. The timing on food is crucial, taking in 2- 100 calorie gels prior to an hour session IS worth the investment as you'll end up with a quality workout burning 600-800 calories.. Where's if you don't fuel properly- crappy session, feel crappy, and crappy recovery.. Cutting out all sauces, extra thin layer of peanut butter for toppings, etc.. Everything on whole grain as it digests better than white...For about 4 years I have done a zero calorie smoothie every single night except when traveling right before bed.. This eliminates the weakness of eating before bed and being unable to sleep... 1 bag of Lances peanuts is my bedtime snack if I'm tossing and turning.. Last year I got down to 174 or 14lbs lighter and the funny thing is that I am faster running when I was heavier????!! I will revisit this and see if it is the fact that my body is fitter now... Since I get a lot of questions on nutrition I thought I would post this as I it really is not triathlon related but fitness related..

I did oly yesterday in Orlando just to get back on the grind... My volume is way off the compared to before IMCDA.. Running 30ish miles a week doesn't cut it for attempting to have a solid 10k run.. I had a chip on my back after CDA's ridiculiously slow swim time, so went out hard and maintained the pace throughout the 2 laps, with even splits at 10:40 after one lap, and around 10:30 after the second lap for a 21:10 swim.. I'm not sure on the accuracy of the swim, but looking at the top swimmers, it seemed about right. Onto the bike, immediately my quads were on fire from hammering the swim.. It took some time for the hr to settle down, meaning not in the best shape for me.. Finally downed a couple gels and was able to get my groove in.. I had noticed my form was quite off throughout the whole ride, Whenever I caught myself offtrack I immediately jumped to 25-26mph when I sit and crank a certain way.. The bike split was a little over 24mph, close to 1mph off my best... Onto the run, It's almost August here in florida, I'm an overweight guy(by triathlon standards) so overheat pretty easy, but rather than dehydration it was more of lack of training.. I could tell that the run would be off as by mile one I was at 6:11.. I'm almost always under 6 for the first mile then settle into a pace...I also weigh 10lbs less and ran slower isn't that interesting??? All this stuff about bodyweight is probably a myth as endurance athletes just use that as an excuse not to go to the gym... My reason for dropping weight is purely for personal vanity reasons rather than tri or fitness related. Something interesting started happening- I started coughing miles 2-6, some kind of itch in my throat that I still have today... I think its some sort of reaction to the water????? Anyways running a fast 10k and coughing about every minute leads to a jacked up heartrate and less oxygen... I had seen 2nd or 1st wasn't a possiblity so held off the guy in 4th for a 3rd place OA finish.... Of course after the race didn't get enough of a session, so went out for an easy bike ride, flatted out so cut it short.. It was a fun race and the truth is IMCDA was less than a month ago and I'm back out trying to recover from the major letdown, and having a little fun. I booked this rae at the last minute so i could gain some fitness for Loggerhead in 3 weeks.. Racing a lot is good way gain experience and get back in shape as its impossible to raise your game during training as you do in a race.. I think this is my 4th oly of the year...I've finally dropped off the extra "stuff" from IMCDA, it took about 2 weeks, but finally about 178 or about 10lbs lighter....I'm not sure how it'll affect racing, but I think I'm going to do an OLY tri this weekend to jumpstart back in shape.. I've been training the past few weeks around 12-15hours, but just not fully recovering properly due to other things.... I'm finally getting my spark back after bricking the last night with a solid performance... I've really been concentrating on increasing my stride length and stay airborne longer as its the only way for me to get faster at the moment as I think I have pretty quick turnover already.... Oh yea, on the 4th of July did a fun litte 5k in thick humidity, came out at 18:08-which I was pleased, but will eventually crack back into the 17's.... On tap for the fall is a couple sprints and olympics, then An IM in Clermont mid Oct- the Great Floridian, then 2 weeks later IMFL,then the next weekend Clearwater... Maybe a mary in Vegas in December also- you know just some regular racing. ;)..Down close to 8lbs, around 6% BF......You cannot lose too much to fast or you will lose muscle... When Dieting and doing endurance sports you have to prefuel, fuel during, and immediate recovery drink as a priority....For me the difference has been a couple of tricks to cut Body Fat.... These do NOT include starving... A high fiber dinner...Its really as simple as if you want to get cut then you have to cut carbs, if you want to have energy you need carbs especially for IM training.. The timing on food is crucial, taking in 2- 100 calorie gels prior to an hour session IS worth the investment as you'll end up with a quality workout burning 600-800 calories.. Where's if you don't fuel properly- crappy session, feel crappy, and crappy recovery.. Cutting out all sauces, extra thin layer of peanut butter for toppings, etc.. Everything on whole grain as it digests better than white...For about 4 years I have done a zero calorie smoothie every single night except when traveling right before bed.. This eliminates the weakness of eating before bed and being unable to sleep... 1 bag of Lances peanuts is my bedtime snack if I'm tossing and turning.. Last year I got down to 174 or 14lbs lighter and the funny thing is that I am faster running when I was heavier????!! I will revisit this and see if it is the fact that my body is fitter now... Since I get a lot of questions on nutrition I thought I would post this as I it really is not triathlon related but fitness related..