Endurance Corner Swim Camp

It's been 4 weeks now since Ironman Florida and it already feels like a lifetime ago. I've certainly had a chance to rest up a bit and get re-connected with some people and things that were back-burnered during the lead-up to the race.

I had a great time last week, spending the Thanksgiving weekend with the family at Disney World.

I thought I'd write today about the Endurance Corner Swim Camp that finished up today. Well, for me it finished up on Thanksgiving because I got an early start. I'm not sure where the idea came from, but Gordo, Jan, and Scott seem to have been the organizers for the 2-week virtual camp.

About 35 triathletes located all over the U.S., and the globe, for that matter, participated. There was an Internet-based tally sheet for the athletes to report their daily swim yardage, so that all the participants could see how the others were doing. Score was kept as follows:

For each day's swim: 1 point if >=2000 meters or 2 points if >=4000 meters.

1 bonus point each week if >= 5 swims that week.

1 bonus point if >=10 swims over the 2-week camp.

1 bonus point for each of 10 "bonus sets" that could be included anywhere along the way:
1. 5 x 400m on 20 sec rest, descending
2. 2 x 100m, descending, choice of rest
3. 4000m, without stopping, breathing every 3rd stroke
4. 10 x 200m, grouped 4/3/2/1, each group faster, on 15 sec rest
5. 8 x 250, first 25 fly, last 225 choice, choice of rest
6. 2000m, without stopping, with pull buoy and band
7. 2000m time trial
8. 20 x 100m on avg 100m pace from 2000m TT plus 0:10.

I managed to get all 41 points and logged ~69,000 yards at the pool. For me, that was the most ever for a 2-week period, by far. There are still a few hours left today and it looks like ~9-10 people will finish with 50,000+meters. Wow. Gordo promised new EC swim caps to everybody who reached 50,000 meters, so there was some incentive! I'll bet that most folks did 2x to 4x their usual swimming volume during the camp.

Gordo and JD posted the details of their daily workouts at the EC Forum and it was interesting to see how the elites go about swim training. It's sometimes easy to gloss over the various #'s, split times, etc., but they swim FAST and LONG, day after day. Again, wow.

For me, it was back to training this week. It's amazing how de-tuned things become with a 3-week break. My quads have been burning all week from Monday evening's trip to the gym. And the 2:15 ride yesterday seemed like it would never end. Today was an appreciated rest day....and back at it tomorrow.

Thinking about the 2010 season....
February...............Hilton Head Island Half Marathon
...................Natchez bike weekend
March....................Endurance Corner Tucson training camp
April.......................N. Orleans 70.3
May........................Memphis in May
June.......................Heatwave Classic

Ironman Florida 2009

I'm back in Jackson after a long weekend in Panama City Beach, Florida, for the 2009 Ironman Florida triathlon.

Lori flew to Jackson on Tuesday of race week and we headed down to PCB on Wednesday. We picked up Justin Daerr at the Pensacola airport on the way and we were glad that he decided to stay with us at the Creswell family headquarters, as he called it. We lucked out with a great 10th floor penthouse condo with a huge balcony and great views of the gulf. We enjoyed dinner at Carrabas Grill and a shopping trip to Publix and called it a day.

On Thursday, I went for a short ride with Justin, registered for the race, and visited the expo. The family went to the pro press conference to hear Justin and the other men and women pros talk about the upcoming race. Justin and I went for a short afternoon swim in the beautiful Gulf water. The family and I went to the Welcome Dinner and hooked up with Nicholas Whipple, one of our medical students who was doing his first Ironman race. We enjoyed the videos, the music, and the pasta dinner. And we let Justin have some quiet time!

Friday was a pretty uneventful day. Went on another short ride with Justin, did a short EZ run, and then another swim with Justin. We checked in the gear and lounged. Justin's girlfriend, Brooke, arrived in the afternoon and it was great to meet the (better) half of Team JD. She turned out to be lots of fun. Lori and I made a quick trip to visit Alisha, Brandon, Charlie, Mel, and Brandon's parents at their condo at the Shores of Panama. We enjoyed the well-wishing. We had dinner back at the condo and turned in early.

The race had both good and bad. I swam well in rough water and biked steadily (if not fast). But once again, I struggled with the run. It took a rather spirited effort in the last mile to reach the finish line just shy of 14 hours. As always, it was great to arrive to the cheers of family and friends. Justin and Brooke also came back to cheer and it was great to be able to celebrate with them, too.

I think my fondest memories of my two tries at IM Florida came in the same place in 2007 and again this year.....the family and friends cheering at the 13-mile mark of the run.

I thought that training had gone well and so, at this point, I'm not sure what I could have done differently. I'll have to think hard about this before giving it another go. You can't help but be inspired at these IM races.

On Monday, we headed home, bringing Justin for his first real visit to Mississippi. I had the Mississippi Heat Triathlon Team over to my house for dinner and a talk by Justin. Justin offered up suggestions for how to approach the offseason, how to get organized for next year, and how to find and work with a coach. There were plenty of questions and answers to follow....and I think that people had a good time. We all agreed that we should do things like this more often.

It's time for some rest now.....catch up on some things that have been on back burner for a while, holidays with the family, etc. I've been thinking a lot about next year, though, and I'm thinking now about doing the Blues Half Marathon here in Jackson in January, the Hilton Head Island Half Marathon in February, making a repeat trip to the Endurance Corner training camp in Tucson in March, and racing in the N. Orleans 70.3 in April. That's a start....

One Week to Go!

One week to go 'til Ironman Florida!

I see that it's been a while since I've written anything here at the blog. Since the Great Natchez Ride, I've been busy at work, busy finishing up training, and working to get some content up at my other blog, the Athlete's Heart Blog.

I had a good time yesterday morning at the Du It For Heather Duathlon here in Ridgeland. This is the 2nd annual running of this event, albeit with a different name this year. Once again, we had clear, sunny skies and ideal cool temperatures for the race. I was on hand to cheer for George and Stephanie this year....and a handful of others that I knew who were doing the race. Both Stephanie and George had a good race....and Stephanie came from behind to win the overall women's race! Good for her. And on her new bike!

I stood for a long while with Darryl, who is also racing at Ironman Florida next weekend. We shared stories about training and thoughts about the upcoming race. Training has gone well. No significant injuries and pretty consistent efforts, I'd say. There are several people from town who are headed to Panama City Beach for the race next weekend....me, Darryl, Brandon, Mike, Toby, Jim, and Nicholas, I think. And some people to cheer as well, including Charlie, Mel, Alisha, George, Stephanie, and my family.

Lori's traveling to Jackson on Tuesday evening and we'll be driving down to PCB on Wednesday. We're stopping in Pensacola to pick up Coach Justin (and say hello to the parents who are also traveling to Pensacola), then it's on to PCB! We're staying once again at the Grandview condos....this was a great home base for the 2007 race.

After the race, Coach Justin is coming back to Jackson for a short stay. We've planned a dinner and evening of TriTalk with Justin on Monday, Nov. 9th at my place, for the Mississippi Heat tri club. I think this will lots of fun....and probably educational, too. I really appreciate Justin's willingness to do this.

That's it for now. More in the coming days from Panama City Beach!

Great Natchez Ride

Had a great weekend with our Great Natchez Ride. Off and on for the past couple years, we've talked about doing an overnight bike ride to Natchez and back (~100 miles each way) on the Natchez Trace....but like many adventures, it's sometimes hard to get a critical mass together. But it really happened this weekend. We put this on the calendar a couple months ago, hoping to talk a crowd into joining in....but in the end, it was just me, Bobby, and Brandon. Alisha, Brandon's girlfriend was also going to ride, but a nagging foot injury turned her into a support person at the last minute.

We met at my house early Saturday morning....the riders, plus the support crew of Lori (my sister), Alisha (Brandon's girlfriend), and Julie (Bobby's girlfriend). We loaded up Bobby's Tahoe with the luggage and support gear and we were off!

The Natchez Trace is a gem for bicyclists. It's a 2-lane road, entirely through National Park, that stretches from Natchez, MS in the south to Nashville, TN in the north. The road surface is great and there is little traffic. On the stretch between here and Natchez, the road is gently rolling for the first 80 miles or so, then has bigger hills for the last 25 miles. All in all, there's about 2000 feet of elevation gain for the entire route.

Day #1

We had terrific weather....sunny, 70's to low 80's, little wind....perfect conditions for a long bike ride. We headed out from my house for the 3-mile ride to the Trace and the girls headed out in the SUV. We hopped on the Trace and headed south, each taking rotating 5-10 minute turns at the front.

The girls played leapfrog with us, stopping at each upcoming rest stop along the Trace. They'd be there, cheering and taking photos as we rode by.

We made 2 stops on the way to Natchez, first at Rocky Mount (~50 miles in) and then Mount Locust (~88 miles in)....bathroom break, stretching, snacks, etc. The biggest mishap on day #1 came at Mount Locust....but for the support vehicle, not the riders! The girls rode over a metal bolt which found its way into a rear tire, causing a flat. And, interestingly, we had a dickens of a time getting the tire changed. Eventually, a local US mailwoman had to change the tire. Go figure! We turned the girls loose to head for the hotel and be there when we arrived.

We stayed at the historic Eola hotel in downtown Natchez. It is Fall Pilgrimage season in Natchez, so our choice of accomodations was limited, but this worked out pretty well. The rooms were comfortable and had a balcony looking toward the Mississippi River.

I headed out for a short transition run along the River and then crashed at the room for a couple hours. Some of the others made their way to Biscuit and Blues for a snack and libation.

We ate at the Pearl Street Pasta Co., just across the street from the hotel. Good food, good company, and a TV to keep an eye on the Georgia/LSU and then Ole Miss games. Lori and I turned in early (I couldn't pass up the opportunity for 9 hours of sleep....I can't remember the last time). Others headed for the Mighty Martini or a local bar to watch more of the football.

Day #2

We were up early on day #2 to check on the weather forecast. It would be a windy, cooler, and wet day and we worried that rain would get the best of us. As it turned out, there were a couple periods of light rain, but the heavens didn't open up until we were back in Jackson.

For me, the ride was tough on day #2. The first 25 miles of the ride were pretty hilly....and the other guys were feeling too peppy for me. Every time we were headed uphill, I needed to crank out 300+W to keep up....and I knew early on that this was a recipe for failure later in the day. And I was right.

We stopped at Coles Creek (~20 miles in) for a bathroom break, then at Mount Locust (~60 miles in) for another break. I decided to take an hour break and ride in the car, meeting the guys at Battle of Raymond (~80 miles in) and ride to the finish. I felt stronger after the break and it wasn't quite the problem to keep up for the final 20 miles or so....despite the gusty headwind.

Brandon and I went for a short transition run from my house and then we enjoyed pizza from Soulshine. We had a great time this year and are looking forward to doing it again....perhaps spring, 2010. Julie texts tonight that she wants to get a bike. What could be better?

For me, the totals were:

Day #1

110.6 miles (106.3 miles steady on the Trace)

19.2 mph (19.8 mph on the Trace), avg. cadence 89, avg HR 131

power 148W, 173NP, TSS 360, 3061kJ

Day #2

76.2 miles (74.0 miles steady on the Trace)

17.2 mph, avg cadence 89, avg HR 123

power 147W, 169NP, TSS 262, 2620kJ

For me, this was the most-ever cycling over 2 days. And the short transition runs went well, too....providing some confidence for the upcoming IM Florida race.

Next up for me (and Brandon, with Lori and Alisha cheering again)....Ironman Florida on November 7th.

Yosemite National Park

We celebrated my dad’s 75th birthday with a 5-day trip to San Francisco and Yosemite National Park. The trip was planned nearly a year ago….and for a long time, the destination was kept secret from dad. But like many surprises, this surprise was hard to keep.

Like many family trips, we traveled through Atlanta, where the family met up on the way out to California. We left early on Wednesday morning and, thanks to the time change, were in San Francisco by noon. We picked up our rental SUV and headed east for the 3 ½ hour drive to Yosemite. We would have surprisinigly warm, sunny weather for the entire weekend.

We stayed at the Chateau du Sureau, a terrific bed and breakfast in the town of Oakhurst, just outside the south entrance to Yosemite. With only 10 rooms, this was a quaint place. The accommodations and service at the Chateau were fantastic. We ate dinner Wednesday at the adjacent Erna’s Elderberry House. There was a beautiful dining room and great food. Erna stopped by to say hello and welcome us to her Chateau! I went for a short run in Oakhurst before dinner….probably the hilliest run I’ve ever done, but thankfully we were only at 2000 feet!

Yosemite, Day #1. On Thursday, we were up early. I joined the family for breakfast at the Chateau and then went for another short run in Oakhurst. Then it was off for an all-day private tour with Crossroads Travel. Ralph, our guide, picked us up at the Chateau in a Hummer at 8 am sharp and we headed north to Yosemite. Our first stop was at the Mariposa Grove, right near the south entrance. This is a grove with a large stand of sequoia trees. These trees are amazing really, growing to 300 feet tall and living as long as 3000 years. They’re just enormous. Dad, Lori, and I went on a 2-mile hike to see the Grizzly Giant Tree and the California Tree (with a hollowed out trunk that you could walk through). Mom waited at the trailhead but joined another ranger-led tour group for an introductory talk about the trees. Next it was off toward Yosemite Valley. We stopped at the Tunnel View overlook to see the common view of Half Dome and El Capitan. Amazing to think that Greg Vadasdi, who we met in Brazil, was climbing El Capitan just 2 weeks ago. We also stopped for a short hike to a viewing area to see Bridal Veil Falls. At this time of year, not so much water, but the scenery was still magnificent. We ate lunch in the dining room at the Ahwanee Hotel. We enjoyed the meal and the view out the window was beautiful. After lunch we headed to Glacier Point and this was a bit of a drive. But it was worth the time. The view from Glacier Point was awesome….the Valley below and Half Dome in the distance. Ralph set up his telescope and we sighted in on the waterfalls, hikers on various trails, and the many rock formations. It was a really nice day at the Park. We got back to the Chateau at about 5 pm and that evening we went out for pizza at Pizza Factory, the local pizza joint.

Yosemite, Day #2. Friday started off with a 1-hour run in Oakhurst, followed by breakfast at the Chateau, and then the second day of touring with Ralph. Today’s first stop was a walk through the Yosemite Village. We stopped at a couple shops, had something to drink, and visited the Ansel Adams gallery. We bought some postcards and mailed them right away at the Yosemite Post Office. Then it was off toward Tuolemne Meadows. This would be a long drive. We stopped at Olmstead’s Overlook, where we could watch (with Ralph’s telescope) the hikers on the final ascent up the cabling system to the top of Half Dome. I’d like to do the 12-hour hike the next time I’m here. We stopped for a picnic lunch at Lake Tenaya. The Chateau had packed a pretty special picnic lunch for us and the setting was nice. I waded out into the lake….and, boy, it was nippy! Elevation ~10,000 feet. We continued the drive up to the Meadows. We had a short look around there and then headed home. Another great day at the Park. Dinner was at Erna’s again--the “official” birthday dinner for Dad.

S. Francisco. On Saturday morning, I went for a run, we had breakfast at the Chateau, and then we headed back to San Francisco. We got to our hotel at by noon and went for lunch at one of our favorite outside restaurants at Pier 39. It’s always fun to see the sea lions and look out at Alcatraz. I’m hoping to get a lottery spot and be able to race again in the Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon in May 2010. There was some quiet time at the hotel in the afternoon and I went for a swim at the Embarcadero YMCA. That evening we went to Union Square and had dinner at Cheesecake Factory….perhaps not a San Francisco original, but a family favorite nonetheless.

I’m sitting on the plane now, headed home on Sunday afternoon. I think everybody enjoyed the trip. There’s an hour or so to go to Atlanta, then the trip home to Jackson. Back to reality bright and early tomorrow!

Lori’s coming to visit next weekend. We’re celebrating my birthday with an overnight bike ride to Natchez and back. Bobby Stephenson, Alisha Wingerter, Brandon Wilmoth and I are riding and Lori is driving the support car. Looking forward to it. Back next week about the Natchez adventure!

Nation's Tri 2009

I had a great weekend in Washington, DC. I visited with my sister and raced yesterday in the 4th edition of the Nation’s Tri.

One interesting happening on Saturday….we were walking down the street in DC and ran into Mark Hoover, a triathlete we had met in Taupo at Ironman New Zealand 2007. He had moved from Phoenix to DC and was just out for a morning run with his girlfriend. It was fun to do a little catching up with Mark. He raced at IM CDA last year and is preparing now for SOMA half.

The Nation’s Tri was my 6th triathlon this year. And for those of you who have been following along, you’ll know that the first 5 races have been challenging, let’s say. So, while I didn’t set any speed records yesterday, it was clearly a nice, steady effort from start to finish—and obviously the most solid effort this year.

In many ways, this race reminded me of the Chicago Triathlon. There were ~4000 participants, a 1500 m swim in the Potomac River with an in-water start, a gently rolling 40K bike course, and a mostly flat 10K run around Haines Point and the Jefferson Memorial area.

I was in wave 24 of 31 to start the race, so I started more than an hour after the race began. The water was 72 degrees, so I chose to use a wetsuit. I had a very steady swim….no troubles with other swimmers, but once again I managed to goof up. I turned for the exit 1 buoy too soon! I had put in a good 100 yards before realizing the mistake (where are the other swimmers?) and had to return to the course to round the last buoy before heading to the exit. This was probably amusing to the spectators. The swim was 25:12. Good start….and some bonus swimming, too!

There was a long run to transition, just because the transition area was so large. Orderly T1, then off on the bike. The HR was in the low 160’s to start and settled into the 140’s for the ride, which was comfortable territory. There were 2 out-and-backs on closed highway, with a tailwind for the return portions. I passed 100’s of people on the bike (and was passed by only 25, I think)….good for the psyche. At 20.3 mph (1:14, 165W avg, 180W NP), this was the fastest and strongest bike leg of the year for me. Solid for me if not spectacular. I was looking forward to the run.

I had an orderly T2 and was off on the run. It turned out to be difficult starting out, but I settled into a slow, steady pace by the 2nd mile and continued this way to the finish. I took a 1-minute walk break each 10 minutes and stopped to get a drink at each of the aid stations. It took 1:03….really wish I could run better. The last time I ran on Haines Point was during the 2006 Marine Corps Marathon, the only marathon I’ve done. This portion of the marathon was miles 15-18 or so….and my memories were of many people alongside the road cramped up or vomiting (or both). Much better scene this time.

Looking at the results, I was 6/290 in my age group after the swim, ~60/290 after the bike, and 139/290 after the run. For me, this was the first time to finish in the top half of the age group for an Olympic distance race or longer (and I’ve had 4 Olympic, 3 half Ironman, and 4 Ironman races to try!). Perhaps this is progress.

Most interesting event of the day….My sister was watching the race from the swim exit and she saw an athlete get out of the water before I had started. He couldn’t get his wetsuit unzipped for some reason….and neither could a couple spectators who offered to help. He was frantic….so a fireman/paramedic came with scissors and cut him out of the wetsuit! I always worry about using the wetsuit. It’s just one more thing that can go wrong!

After the race, we returned to the hotel to shower and gather our stuff before heading back to my sister’s place in Fairfax. We tuned into Ironman Wisconsin online and cheered hard for Chris MacDonald and Justin Daerr who finished 5th and 6th. Way to go! Justin thought he was racing under the radar, but we had it figured from the go!

For me, next up is Ironman Florida on November 7th. Just 7 weeks to go and I can’t wait. Next weekend, I’m taking a break from training, though, to travel to Yosemite to celebrate my dad’s 75th birthday. Looking forward to the trip. And the following weekend, I’m doing an overnight round-trip bike trip to Natchez with friends who are also racing at Ironman Florida. Should be fun.

New Athlete's Heart Blog

For my ongoing series about the Athlete's Heart, I'm going to migrate things to a separate blog, The Athlete's Heart Blog.

Join me there at www.athletesheart.blogspot.com.

See you there!